Fw: Bihar's 60 Lakh Smart Prepaid Meter Users Get Breather: No Recharge Needed Up to 125 Units; Subsidy Continues Beyond

Bihar's new scheme allows smart prepaid meter users to enjoy 125 units of free electricity monthly. Consumers must recharge after exceeding this limit.

Power consumers, using smart prepaid meters, will have to recharge their meters after consuming over & above 125 units in a month, energy department official sources said.

This means that a prepaid meter user will not have to recharge for the consumption of first 125 units but there is a catch that he/she will have to recharge if the consumer has pending dues which is deducted on a daily basis. There are, approximately, 60 lakh domestic consumers whose premises have been installed with smart prepaid meters in the state.

Notably, the state cabinet recently (July 18) gave its nod to provide 125 units of free electricity to the 1.86 crore domestic consumers including 1.67 crore consumers who, on an average, use up to 125 units of electricity per month. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on July 17 made the announcement to give free power up to 125 units. The decision will come into effect from August 1, 2025. The scheme has been made applicable from the month of July which would reflect in the energy bill of August.

"There is no confusion at all as how prepaid consumers will get the benefit of the scheme. The prepaid consumers will not have to recharge for the first 125 units but they will have to recharge their meter after consuming the first 125 units in a month," an official sources said. The consumers who have already recharged or will be recharging their meter for the month of July, the amount for 125 units will be credited into their (consumers’) accounts, he said and added that it would reflect in "balance" head after the energy bill is generated on August 1.

The official, however, made it clear that a consumer will not have to recharge for the consumption of first 125 units but he/she will have to recharge if he/she has any dues pending against him/her for which deduction is being made on a daily basis. Both the distribution companies – North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd & South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd – would inform the consumers through message (SMS) about crediting the amount.

For example, a prepaid user consumes 200 units of electricity in a month, 125 units will be deducted from 200 units and the consumer will be charged on the remaining 75 units at subsidised rate as usual. The consumer will have to recharge for the remaining 75 units to get uninterrupted power supply. After giving subsidy to urban consumers, the power companies charge Rs 4.12 per unit for the first 100 units while Rs 5.52 is charged per unit for consuming over and above 100 units.

While explaining the issue, energy department’s secretary and Bihar State Power Holding Company Ltd (BSPHCL), Patna Chairman-cum-Managing Director Manoj Kumar Singh has already made it amply clear that "consumers using above 125 units will continue to get subsidised rate of electricity under Mukhya Mantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayta Yojana." "All the domestic consumers are getting covered with the decision. No family will be spared from the benefit," Singh added.