Why is my electricity bill high?
Type your last two bills. The tool shows how much of the change comes from the days in the bill, from your daily use, from slab lines and from free-unit limits, and what is left for other charges.
- All 36 states
- 8 private suppliers
- Nothing leaves your device
Ten reasons a bill goes up
- More days in the bill. A bill for 35 days has more units than a bill for 28 days. Compare units a day, not units a bill.
- Higher daily use. Air conditioners, coolers, geysers, a new appliance or guests raise daily use. Use the appliance calculator to find the big users.
- A slab line. Above each slab line the rate goes up. A small rise in units can give a big rise in the bill.
- A free-units or subsidy limit. Some State schemes stop above a limit. One unit over the limit can add a large amount. See free electricity schemes.
- Fuel surcharge. The fuel surcharge (FAC, FPPAS or MVCA) can change each month or quarter. See the fuel surcharge this month.
- A tariff change. A new tariff order changes the rates. See tariff changes by state.
- An average bill before. If the meter was not read, the last bill was an average. This bill then adds the units that the average missed. Look for “average”, “RDF”, “IDF” or “provisional” on the old bill.
- Arrears and charges. An unpaid amount, a late payment charge or a reconnection charge goes onto the next bill.
- A security deposit top-up. Discoms can ask for more deposit when your use goes up. See security deposit.
- A meter fault. If your use did not change, you can ask the discom to test the meter. See how to read your meter and where to complain.
By state
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chhattisgarh
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- West Bengal
Questions
Why is my electricity bill high this month?
The most common reasons are more days in the bill, higher daily use in summer, and units that cross a slab line or a free-units limit. A fuel surcharge change, arrears or an earlier average bill can also add to it.
My units went up a little but the bill went up a lot. Why?
Above each slab line the rate goes up, and some free-unit schemes stop above a limit. A small rise in units can then give a big rise in the bill. The tool shows where this happens.
Can a faulty meter make my bill high?
Yes, but it is less common than the other reasons. If your use did not change, ask your discom to test the meter. You may have to pay a small fee, which comes back if the meter is faulty.