Checked 22 Oct 2026
Home / Tamil Nadu / Blog / Load and tariff change
How do I change my TNEB load or tariff?
Apply on TNPDCL's portal. A load reduction or a tariff change costs ₹385. Adding load costs more, because the development charge and deposits are charged again: ₹4,635 to take a single-phase home from 2 kW to 3 kW, by TNPDCL's own calculator. There is no GST.
Work out yours
Your load in kW is on your TNEB bill. Above 4 kW, TNPDCL supplies three phase.
Units on your last two-month bill, and the load in kW printed on it.
Adding 1 kW: 2 kW to 3 kW, single phase
₹4,635
- Registration cum processing₹220Paid with the application. Not refunded.
- Testing fee₹165Added by TNPDCL's calculator.
- Development charge₹3,095One flat amount for a single-phase home, overhead line.
- Security deposit₹330Refundable, with interest.
- Meter caution deposit₹825Refundable, with interest.
₹1,155 of this is deposits that come back with interest when the connection is closed.
Rates from TNERC Order No. 7 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025. Matched to TNPDCL application charges calculator on 22 Oct 2026. Bills 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.
In short
- A TNEB load reduction or tariff change costs ₹385: ₹220 registration and ₹165 testing, with no GST, by TNPDCL's own calculator on 22 Oct 2026.
- Adding load costs more because the development charge and deposits are charged again. Taking a single-phase home from 2 kW to 3 kW on an overhead line costs ₹4,635, of which ₹1,155 is refundable deposit.
- TNPDCL's calculator charges the development charge and security deposit on your whole new load, not just the kW you add: ₹25,070 to take a three-phase home from 5 kW to 7 kW, and ₹20,310 to go from 2 kW single phase to 5 kW three phase.
- TNPDCL must change a tariff within 7 working days, cut a load within 7 days (4 weeks if the meter changes) and add load within 7, 60 or 90 days, or pay you ₹200 a day, up to ₹2,000.
- Running a shop on a home connection is unauthorised use: TNPDCL can bill twice the commercial tariff for the period, usually up to 12 months. For 300 units in two months a 2 kW shop pays ₹3,802; a home pays ₹470.
Which change you need
| What happened | Apply for |
|---|---|
| New AC, EV charger or geyser, and things trip or the load on your bill is too low | Additional load |
| Everything connected adds up to more than 4,000 watts | Additional load, to three phase |
| Rooftop solar bigger than your sanctioned load | Additional load, before the solar application |
| A shop or office with less equipment than its load | Load reduction |
| A shop, clinic, office or tuition centre in part of a home | Tariff change, home to commercial |
| A shop closed and the space is a home again | Tariff change, commercial to home |
Net metering for rooftop solar is allowed up to your sanctioned load, so a 3 kW system on a 2 kW home connection needs more load first. A change to the farm tariff is not allowed from any other tariff.
TN Electricity Distribution Code, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulation 26(1); TNPDCL summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar); TNERC Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulation 9(3).
What each change costs
Every figure is what TNPDCL's own calculator showed on 22 Oct 2026, for an owner, general public, overhead line.
| Change | Charges | Deposits back | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home, 2 kW to 3 kW, single phase | ₹3,480 | ₹1,155 | ₹4,635 |
| Home, 2 kW single phase to 5 kW three phase | ₹13,120 | ₹7,190 | ₹20,310 |
| Home, 5 kW to 7 kW, three phase | ₹15,890 | ₹9,180 | ₹25,070 |
| Shop, 2 kW to 3 kW, single phase | ₹7,030 | ₹1,155 | ₹8,185 |
| Load reduction | ₹385 | ₹0 | ₹385 |
| Tariff change, either way | ₹385 | ₹0 | ₹385 |
On 22 October 2026 Google's AI answer quoted a registration fee of ₹200 to ₹215, a testing fee of ₹150 to ₹160 plus GST, and development charges of ₹2,000 to ₹5,110 a kW. Those are older rates. From 1 July 2025 it is ₹220, ₹165 with no GST, and ₹2,215 or ₹5,525 a kW.
TNPDCL application charges calculator; TNERC Order No. 7 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025, Tables 11, 18, 20, 22 and 24.
Adding load
The development charge is your share of the network, and TNERC's rules collect it for additional load at the same rates as for a new connection. A single-phase home pays one flat amount, ₹3,095 on an overhead line or ₹7,735 on an underground cable. Three-phase homes and all shops pay per kW: ₹2,215 overhead, ₹5,525 underground. The security deposit is ₹330 for single phase or ₹995 a kW for three phase, and the meter caution deposit ₹825 or ₹2,215. Both deposits earn interest, 5.76% a year for 2026-27.
TNPDCL's calculator works these out on your whole load after the change, not on the kW you add. Taking a three-phase home from 5 kW to 7 kW, it charges the development charge and the security deposit on 7 kW. A tenant without the owner's consent pays the security deposit twice over, as for a new connection.
The Distribution Code says that on a move from single to three phase, you pay only the difference in development charge over what you paid for single phase. The calculator does not take that off: from 2 kW single phase to 5 kW three phase it charges ₹11,075 development charge in full. Check the demand notice after inspection, and if it charges the full amount, ask the section office to take off what you paid for single phase.
TNPDCL will not add or cut load while any bill is unpaid on this connection or on another connection in your name.
TN Electricity Distribution Code, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulations 46, 47 and 49; TNERC Order No. 7 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025; TN Electricity Supply Code amendment, 2 Sep 2023, regulation 5(2)(iv); interest: TNERC Order No. 3 of 2026, 6 Apr 2026, as reported by EQ Mag.
If you use more than your load without applying
Homes are not charged for going over: the excess demand charge does not apply to them. What the 2023 Supply Code amendment added is this: if your meter records more than your sanctioned load a third time in 12 months, TNPDCL raises the load to what was recorded, rounded up to the next kW, and adds the development charge for the extra kW to your next bill.
Shops and offices pay an excess demand charge once TNPDCL has fitted a meter that records demand: 1% of the energy and fixed charges for every kW over, when both the sanctioned and the recorded demand are up to 112 kW. On the third time in 12 months the load is raised too.
TN Electricity Supply Code amendment, 2 Sep 2023, regulation 5(2)(ii) as amended.
Changing tariff
Apply before you change how the place is used. TNPDCL's engineer takes a revised test report, and the meter reading on that day closes the old tariff. TNPDCL must make the change within 7 working days. The portal asks only for the applicant's Aadhaar card, plus the Udyog Aadhaar memorandum and an LT agreement in Form 7 for an industrial tariff.
TNERC told the board in August 2023, and again in an order reported in January 2024, not to insist on a building completion certificate when an existing home connection changes to commercial. The board had cited a Madras High Court stay. If you are asked for one, point to those directions.
| Units in two months | Home | Shop or office |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | ₹0 | ₹1,152 |
| 200 | ₹0 | ₹2,681 |
| 300 | ₹470 | ₹3,802 |
| 400 | ₹940 | ₹4,923 |
| 500 | ₹1,570 | ₹6,043 |
| 600 | ₹2,880 | ₹7,353 |
A commercial connection pays ₹110 a kW a month in fixed charge, no free units, and a higher rate for every unit. Using a home connection for a shop is unauthorised use, because the power is used for a purpose other than the one it was given for. If an inspection finds it, the Supply Code's formula charges twice the commercial energy and fixed charges on the share put down to the shop, less what you paid, for the period of misuse, usually up to 12 months.
TNERC Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulation 9; TN Electricity Supply Code, consolidated to 2009, regulation 9(2); TNPDCL application portal, documents required; DT Next, 5 Aug 2023; Housing.com, 10 Jan 2024; TN Electricity Supply Code amendment, 2 Sep 2023, Form 8-A. 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, with the shop subsidy TNPDCL's own bill calculator applies.
Reducing load
Worth doing for a shop or office that has less running than its sanctioned load. Each kW costs ₹110 a month in fixed charge, ₹1,320 a year, whether you use it or not, so cutting 2 kW pays back the ₹385 fee in two months. Homes pay no fixed charge in Tamil Nadu, so a lower load does not lower a home bill.
The portal asks only for a recent photo. TNPDCL must cut the load within 7 days, or 4 weeks if the meter has to change.
TNPDCL application portal, documents required; TNERC Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulation 9(5); TNERC Tariff Order No. 6 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025.
How to apply
- Clear any dues on this connection and any other in your name.
- Apply online on TNPDCL's application portal (app1.tangedco.org/nsconline): Apply, then Additional Load, Load Reduction or Tariff Change. Keep your service connection number handy.
- Upload the documents. Additional load: a recent photo and proof of ownership (a tenant adds the owner's consent in Form 5, or proof of occupation, Form 6 and a double deposit). Load reduction: a recent photo. Tariff change: your Aadhaar card.
- Pay the ₹220 registration, then the demand notice within 15 days. The days you take to pay do not count against TNPDCL's time limit.
- Get the wiring ready. For more load or three phase, have an authorised electrical contractor do and test the wiring, as for a new connection. TNPDCL's engineer then inspects and makes the change.
TNPDCL application portal, documents required; TNPDCL, procedure for a domestic or commercial service connection; TNERC Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulation 4.
How long it takes
| Change | Time limit |
|---|---|
| Tariff change | 7 working days |
| Load reduction, same meter | 7 days |
| Load reduction, meter changed | 4 weeks |
| Additional load, no line work | Preferably 3 days, at most 7 |
| Additional load, line extension | 60 days |
| Additional load, new transformer | 90 days |
If TNPDCL is late, the rules give you ₹200 a day, up to ₹2,000, for each of these.
TNERC Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, as amended to 31 Mar 2024, regulations 4, 9 and 21.
What people report
"They asked for a completion certificate to change the tariff."
After complaints about this reached TNERC, it issued directions in 2023 and 2024 telling the board to stop. A consumer group in Coimbatore objected, arguing that it lets buildings without approvals take a home connection and switch it later. If you are asked, the directions are on your side for an existing home connection.
"The apartment's common supply was moved to the commercial tariff."
One residents' association complained that its common supply was switched from the domestic tariff to LM51 shortly before the builder handed over, and stayed there for over a year. Common areas have their own tariffs: domestic common supply (LA1D) and, for small apartments without a lift, LA1E. Check the tariff code on the bill and apply for a tariff change if it is wrong.
"Someone asked for money to convert to three phase."
A 2017 complaint described an extra payment, with no receipt, to get a three-phase conversion done, and engineers were arrested in 2026 over bribes for new connections. Apart from the registration paid when you apply, every legitimate charge is on the demand notice and can be paid online, and the time limits above are what TNPDCL owes you.
Composites of news reports, TNERC directions and consumer complaints from 2015 to 2026, summarised in our words. We have not named anyone. Sources: DT Next, 5 Aug 2023, Housing.com, 10 Jan 2024, Consumer complaint, ConsumerComplaints.in, Apr 2015, Consumer complaint, ConsumerComplaints.in, May 2017, DT Next, 13 Oct 2026; tariff codes from TNPDCL application charges calculator.
Questions people ask
How do I apply for additional load in TNEB?
On TNPDCL's application portal (app1.tangedco.org/nsconline), choose Additional Load under Apply and give your service connection number with the load you have and the load you want, upload a recent photo and proof of ownership (a tenant adds the owner's consent in Form 5, or Form 6 and a double deposit), and pay the ₹220 registration. Pay the demand notice within 15 days. TNPDCL then has 7 days if no line work is needed, 60 with a line extension, 90 with a new transformer.
How do I reduce my EB load in TNEB?
Apply for Load Reduction on the same portal with a recent photo. It costs ₹385 (₹220 registration and ₹165 testing). TNPDCL must make the change within 7 days, or 4 weeks if the meter has to change. Shops save ₹110 a kW a month in fixed charge; homes pay no fixed charge, so a lower load saves nothing on the bill.
What are TNEB single phase to three phase charges?
By TNPDCL's own calculator, a home going from 2 kW single phase to 5 kW three phase on an overhead line pays {rs(a3["total"])}: {rs(NC["sc3"])} service connection charge, {rs(a3["dev"])} development charge on 5 kW, {rs(a3["sd"])} security deposit, {rs(NC["meter3"])} meter deposit, {rs(NC["reg"])} registration and {rs(LC_FEE["test"])} testing. The Distribution Code says that when you convert, you pay only the difference in development charge over what you paid for single phase, so check the demand notice.
How much does a TNEB tariff change cost?
₹385 by TNPDCL's own calculator: ₹220 registration and ₹165 testing, no GST. The same for home to commercial and commercial to home. TNPDCL must change it within 7 working days.
What documents do I need to change from domestic to commercial?
TNPDCL's portal asks for the applicant's Aadhaar card. A change to an industrial tariff also needs the Udyam (Udyog Aadhaar) memorandum and the LT agreement in Form 7. TNERC has told TNPDCL not to insist on a building completion certificate for an existing home connection moving to commercial.
What is sanctioned load or contracted load in TNEB?
The load in kW that TNPDCL has agreed to supply your connection, printed on your bill. It is not what you use; it is the most you are allowed to draw at once. Single phase goes up to 4 kW. Add up the watts of everything connected and divide by 1,000 to see if you need more.
Is there a letter format for a TNEB tariff change?
The application is online, so a letter is not needed. If the section office asks for one, write to the Assistant Engineer with your name, service connection number, address, the tariff you are on and the one you want (for example domestic LA1A to commercial LM51, as TNPDCL's calculator codes them), why the use has changed and from what date, and sign and date it. Attach a copy of your Aadhaar card.
Is there GST on TNEB load change charges?
No. TNPDCL's own calculator showed GST at nil for additional load, load reduction and tariff change on 22 October 2026.
Read next
- TNEB new connection charges 2026The same charges for a brand new connection.Read the post
- What an AC adds to your TNEB billAdd up what your appliances draw before you ask for more load.Read the post
- Tamil Nadu rooftop solar subsidy 2026Rooftop solar, where your load sets the size you can net meter.Read the post
Sources
- TNPDCL application charges calculator. Load Addition, Load Reduction and Tariff Change runs, 22 Oct 2026; reduction and tariff change ₹385 (₹220 registration, ₹165 testing), GST nil; additional load for homes and shops, single and three phase, overhead and underground.
- TNERC Order No. 7 of 2025, 30 Jun 2025. Charges from 1 July 2025: Tables 11, 18, 20, 22 and 24.
- TNERC Distribution Standards of Performance Regulations, as amended to 31 Mar 2024. Time limits (regs 4 and 9) and compensation (reg 21).
- TN Electricity Supply Code amendment, 2 Sep 2023. Excess demand (reg 5(2)), dues before a load change (5(2)(iv)), unauthorised use (Form 8-A).
- TN Electricity Supply Code, consolidated to 2009. Revised test report for a tariff change (reg 9(2)).
- TN Electricity Distribution Code, as amended to 31 Mar 2024. Single phase up to 4,000 W (reg 26(1)); tenants (reg 27(4)); inspection and taking supply (reg 31); service wire by consumer (reg 45(2)); meter deposit (reg 46); development charges (reg 47).
- TNPDCL application portal, documents required, read 22 Oct 2026.
- 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, for the bills.
- TNPDCL summary of TNERC Order 8 of 2021 (rooftop solar).
- News, directions and complaints: DT Next, 5 Aug 2023, Housing.com, 10 Jan 2024, DT Next, 13 Oct 2026, Consumer complaint, ConsumerComplaints.in, Apr 2015, Consumer complaint, ConsumerComplaints.in, May 2017.
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