Checked 30 Oct 2026
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How to reduce your electricity bill in Tamil Nadu
To reduce your electricity bill in Tamil Nadu, stay at 500 units or under in each two-month bill. At 500 units a home pays ₹1,570; at 501 it pays ₹2,048.40, because above 500 only the first 100 units stay free. After that, cut the AC, geyser and pump hours, and read your meter halfway through the cycle.
Will I cross 500 units?
On course for540 units
Bill at that pace₹2,376
Bill at 500 units₹1,570
To stay at 500, use about 1.3 fewer units a day for the rest of the 60-day cycle.
For a home on two-month billing, with the 60-day cycle and the 2026 slabs. How to read the meter: TNEB meter reading.
Bills worked from TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025, TNERC Order No. 4 of 2026, 27 Apr 2026 and TNERC Order No. 5 of 2026, 26 May 2026, as TNPDCL's TNPDCL bill calculator applies them.
How to reduce your electricity bill, in short
- Stay at 500 units or under in each two-month bill. Going from 500 to 501 units adds ₹478 to a TNEB home bill.
- Read the meter halfway through the cycle. Past 250 units at about 30 days, you are on course to cross 500.
- Cut the big loads first: one hour less of AC a night saves about 33 units a bill, and each degree warmer about 6% of the AC's use.
- When you replace an AC, fan or bulb, pick the more efficient one: a 5 star AC instead of a 3 star saves about 59 units a bill at 8 hours a night.
Why 500 units is the line to watch
A Tamil Nadu home on two-month billing gets 200 units free if it uses 500 units or less. Above 500, only the first 100 units are free, so units 101 to 200 are charged too, and the slabs (bands of units, each with a higher rate) above 500 cost more. The whole bill jumps. Homes pay no fixed charge in Tamil Nadu, so every unit you cut comes off the bill.
| Units in two months | Bill |
|---|---|
| 450 units | ₹1,255 |
| 500 units | ₹1,570 |
| 501 units | ₹2,048.40 |
| 550 units | ₹2,460 |
| 600 units | ₹2,880 |
| 700 units | ₹3,825 |
TNPDCL's calculator rounds the 501-unit bill to ₹2,048.
So a home that would use 550 units saves ₹890 by getting down to 500, and one at 520 saves ₹638. Fifty units in two months is less than one unit a day.
Slabs, and no fixed charge for homes (page 34): TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025; rates a home pays: TNERC Order No. 4 of 2026, 27 Apr 2026, pages 8 and 9; 200 free units up to 500: TNERC Order No. 5 of 2026, 26 May 2026; worked out as TNPDCL's TNPDCL bill calculator does. Every slab: TNEB tariff 2026.
Read your meter halfway through the cycle
- Find the reading on your last bill.
- About 30 days later, read the meter and subtract. That is what you have used so far. How to read the display: TNEB meter reading.
- Past 250 units? You are on course to cross 500. Cut the biggest load for the rest of the cycle.
The check at the top of the page does the sum for any number of days. A meter read late adds days to the cycle; see why your bill is high.
How to save electricity at home: where to cut, and by how much
| Change | Units saved a bill |
|---|---|
| AC one hour less a night (1.5 ton, 3 star) | about 33 |
| AC one degree warmer, 8 hours a night | about 16 |
| 5 star AC instead of 3 star, 8 hours a night | about 59 |
| BLDC fan instead of a regular one, 10 hours a day | about 9 |
| Geyser heating 15 minutes less a day | about 30 |
| Water pump (1 HP) 15 minutes less a day | about 11 |
Each unit you save is worth the rate of the band it comes off: ₹4.70 a unit between 201 and 400 units, ₹6.30 between 401 and 500, and more above. Every appliance, with a calculator: what each appliance adds to your TNEB bill.
AC: Panasonic CS/CU-SU18BKY3W, 1.5 ton 3 star inverter split AC (2026) and Panasonic CS/CU-NU18BKY5WX, 1.5 ton 5 star inverter split AC (2026) labels, over the 1,600 cooling hours a year the star rating assumes (Vikaspedia (Government of India), Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio); 6% a degree: Lok Sabha unstarred question 2613, Ministry of Power, 27 Dec 2018; fans: Havells Reo Utsav ES ceiling fan, 1,200 mm, 48 W; Havells Unnovate BLDC ceiling fan, 1,200 mm, 33 W; geyser: Havells Fabia Slim storage water heater (10, 15 and 25 L); pump: Crompton Mini Master I pump; slab rates a home pays: TNERC Order No. 4 of 2026, 27 Apr 2026, pages 8 and 9.
Smaller habits that help
- Switch off the TV, washing machine, lights, grinder and mixer after use.
- Use daylight in the day and keep the lights off.
The board's own tips, as reported by Asianet Newsable, 3 Mar 2025.
Other ways to reduce your electricity bill
Rooftop solar
Each kW makes about 240 units in an average 60-day cycle. Under net metering the units you send to the grid are set against the units you draw, and homes also pay a network charge on what the panels make. That is the low end of the 4 to 5 units a kW a day on the state solar portal (Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL), FAQ 12); net metering and the network charge for homes: TANGEDCO summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar). See rooftop solar cost.
A wrong reading or a faulty meter
If the units jumped without a reason, the bill itself may be wrong. Check it before you cut anything: why is my TNEB bill so high.
Power cuts
Running fans and lights on an inverter during cuts? Work out how long the battery lasts: inverter battery backup calculator.
Paying on time
If you pay after the last date TNPDCL gives you, it adds an extra charge (a surcharge) of 1.5% a month on the unpaid bill (TN Electricity Supply Code, consolidated to 2009, reg 5(4)). When it starts, and the minimum: see late payment charges.
Questions people ask
What is the fastest way to reduce my EB bill (current bill) in Tamil Nadu?
Keep each two-month bill at 500 units or under. At 500 units a home pays ₹1,570; one unit more and the bill is ₹2,048.40, because above 500 only the first 100 units stay free. Cutting from 550 to 500 units saves ₹890.
How do I know if I will cross 500 units?
Read your meter halfway through the cycle and subtract the reading on your last bill. Past 250 units at about 30 days means you are on course to cross 500. The check at the top of this page works it out from your two readings and the days.
How can I reduce my EB bill while using an AC?
A 1.5 ton 3 star inverter AC run 8 hours a night uses about 263 units a bill, going by its label. One hour less a night saves about 33 units. Each degree warmer saves about 6%, about 16 units a bill at that use.
How can I save electricity at home in Tamil Nadu?
Start with the biggest loads: the AC, the geyser and the water pump, and stay at 500 units or under in each two-month bill. The table under "How to save electricity at home" shows what each change saves in units a bill.
Does keeping the AC on 24 save electricity?
Yes. Each degree you set the AC higher saves about 6% of its electricity, the Ministry of Power told the Lok Sabha, and the board advises running the AC at 24 degrees. At 8 hours a night on a 1.5 ton 3 star AC, one degree is about 16 units a bill.
Should I switch appliances off after use?
Yes. The board advises switching off the TV, washing machine, lights, grinder and mixer after use. The bigger savings come from the AC, geyser and water pump, in the table above, and from staying at 500 units or under.
Is rooftop solar worth it to reduce my bill?
Each kW of rooftop solar makes about 240 units in an average two-month bill. For a home up to about 240 units above the line, 1 kW can bring the units billed back to 500 or under in a sunny cycle; net-metered homes also pay a network charge on solar. See rooftop solar cost and the subsidy.
Read next
Sources
- TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025. Tariff rates from 1 Jul 2025; domestic fixed charge nil (page 34).
- TNERC Order No. 5 of 2026, 26 May 2026. Subsidy that pays for the 200 free units of homes at or under 500 units, under G.O.(Ms) No. 50 dated 10 May 2026.
- TNERC Order No. 4 of 2026, 27 Apr 2026. Tariff subsidy for 2026-27, with the rate each household pays (pages 7 to 9).
- TNPDCL bill calculator. Official calculator: "Choose Monthly if Billing cycle is less than 35 days".
- Lok Sabha unstarred question 2613, Ministry of Power, 27 Dec 2018. Each degree higher on the AC saves about 6% of its electricity.
- Vikaspedia (Government of India), Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. 1,600 cooling hours a year behind the AC star rating.
- Tamil Nadu Solar Rooftop Portal (TNPDCL), FAQ 12; TANGEDCO summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar). Solar output and net metering.
- TN Electricity Supply Code, consolidated to 2009. Late payment surcharge, reg 5(4).
- Panasonic CS/CU-SU18BKY3W, 1.5 ton 3 star inverter split AC (2026); Panasonic CS/CU-NU18BKY5WX, 1.5 ton 5 star inverter split AC (2026); Havells Reo Utsav ES ceiling fan; Havells Unnovate BLDC ceiling fan; Havells Fabia Slim storage water heater (10, 15 and 25 L); Crompton Mini Master I pump. Label and rating figures.
- Asianet Newsable, 3 Mar 2025. The board's own tips: switch off after use, use daylight.
Sources last checked 30 Oct 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us, and see how we correct it.