Electricity: Smart Prepaid Meter Consumers in Bihar Miss Out on Power Tariff Discount Despite Regulatory Approval

Patna: Around 63 lakh smart prepaid meter consumers across Bihar have not yet received the 25 paise per unit electricity tariff discount announced by the Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC). The new reduced rate, scheduled to be implemented from April 1, has not been enforced by the electricity distribution company, which continues to charge consumers based on the old rate.

Rural Consumers Missing Out on Up to 79 Paise Benefit

As per the BERC’s revised tariff structure for FY 2025, all rural electricity consumers — approximately 1.25 crore in number — were to be brought under a single slab rate, significantly reducing the cost of power. Consumers using more than 50 units per month were to benefit from the new structure.

Under the new tariff:

• Rural consumers without smart meters would save 54 paise per unit.
• Those with smart prepaid meters were to get a total benefit of 79 paise per unit.

However, the delay in implementing this change means consumers are still being billed under the previous, higher rate.

Power Company Awaiting Government Subsidy Approval

According to officials from the Bihar State Power Holding Company, the reason behind the delay is the pending approval of the state subsidy. The company has submitted a proposal to the Bihar government requesting a subsidy equal to last year’s amount to offset the revised tariff impact.

In FY 2024–25, the state government had sanctioned a grant of ₹15,343 crore to provide relief to power consumers. The company expects the Cabinet to approve a similar subsidy soon, enabling the application of new rates.

Extra Charges to Be Adjusted in May Bills

Electricity company officials have assured that once the subsidy is approved, consumers will receive a credit adjustment in their May billing cycle for any overcharged amount from April 1 to April 30.

Six-Month Relief on Load Penalty for Prepaid Consumers

In a related update, the power company has clarified that consumers will not be penalized for consuming more electricity than their sanctioned load for six months after switching from a postpaid to a smart prepaid meter.

However, those who installed a smart prepaid meter more than six months ago must ensure their load is approved to avoid penalties for overconsumption.