CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has introduced “EB Auto-Pay”, a new automated bill payment facility enabled through the National Automated Clearing House (NACH) platform, to promote seamless and hassle-free payment of electricity bills by low-tension (LT) consumers.
Under the facility, consumers can register their service connection number on the TNPDCL web portal by providing bank account details, debit card details or Aadhaar-based authentication. Once registration is completed, the EB Auto-Pay facility will be activated for the respective service connection.
Whenever a bill is generated, the total amount will be automatically debited from the consumer’s bank account on the 10th day from the date of assessment. Following confirmation from the bank, an e-receipt will be generated automatically.
According to TNPDCL, consumers can choose mandate start and end dates according to their convenience, including future years, as current consumption (CC) bills are continuous in nature. The mandate will enable recurring automatic debit for all bills generated during the active period.
Consumers can register mandates with any bank in which they hold an account. In case of insufficient funds, the bank will notify the consumer about debit failure, following which payment must be made through an alternate online mode before the due date.
TNPDCL said SMS and e-mail confirmations would be sent to consumers upon successful e-mandate registration or cancellation. The utility said the facility would help ensure timely payments and avoid belated payment surcharge (BPSC).
The corporation clarified that it is not charging any fee for the service and that Federal Bank is also not levying charges. However, consumers may incur charges imposed by their respective banks in case of insufficient funds on the date of debit.
The e-receipt generated after successful payment can be downloaded through the TNPDCL payment portal or from tnebnet.org.
TNPDCL has also added a separate section titled “EB Auto Pay Guidelines - for e-Mandate registration and cancellation” on its website to guide consumers through the process.
The utility has urged all employees to avail the facility for payment of their own CC bills and create awareness among residents in their neighbourhoods. It also said Federal Bank representatives would coordinate with circle offices to explain the features of the facility and distribute awareness posters.
Superintending Engineers and Electricity Distribution Circles (EDCs) have been instructed to promote the EB Auto-Pay facility among consumers and direct Section Officers to sensitise consumers on the easy, quick and convenient payment process.
TNPDCL currently offers multiple online payment options for LT consumers, including net banking, debit and credit cards, mobile banking, BHIM-UPI, BHIM-QR codes, ATM collection, bulk payments, PoS machines, post office collection, bank counter collection, TNeGA e-Sevai centres, Bharat Bill Payment System and NEFT/RTGS facilities.
HT consumers can also make payments through NEFT/RTGS, payment gateway services, mobile banking, BHIM-UPI and net banking.