TNPDCL makes reverification of meter reading mandatory for domestic consumers recording over 20% increase in bills

CHENNAI: In a move aimed at preventing erroneous electricity bills, Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (TNPDCL) has introduced a system to temporarily block bill generation for certain domestic consumers whose power consumption rises by 20 percent cent between billing cycles, with officials required to physically verify the meter reading before the bill is generated.

Under the latest instructions, the LT Billing Software will identify domestic consumers who consumed more than 500 units in July or August 2026.

If the bill for September or October is 20% higher than the previous bill, generation of the bill will be blocked and the service will be flagged for re-verification.

Officials have been instructed to complete the verification within three working days of the meter reading. The rank of the officer assigned to verify a case will depend on the excess bill amount.

Cases involving an increase of less than Rs 1,000 will be verified by an Inspector of Assessment or Revenue Supervisor.

Those involving an increase of Rs 1,001 to Rs 2,000 will be checked by an Assistant Superintendent of the Revenue Branch.

An Assistant Treasury Officer will handle cases involving an increase of Rs 2,001 to Rs 5,000, while an Assistant Accounts Officer will verify cases involving an increase of Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000.

Cases involving an increase of more than Rs 10,000 will be verified by an Assistant Executive Engineer of the sub-division.

If a wrong meter reading is detected during verification, the bill will be reassessed through the deletion process on the same day or the next working day.

If the meter reading tallies with the reading recorded by the assessor, the service will be cleared and the bill generated.

Consumers who dispute the consumption recorded during re-verification can seek meter downloading through CMRI data by the MRT wing. They will, however, have to pay the bill before the due date.

Any subsequent revision will be carried out as per the existing procedure, with excess payment adjusted in the subsequent bill.

The circular also provides for disciplinary action against Assessors or Inspectors of Assessment if incorrect readings are detected during re-verification.

The new mechanism will not apply to readings captured automatically through the mobile application using cable or Bluetooth, as these readings are recorded without manual intervention.

To monitor the process, TNPDCL has introduced a Services Blocked Report in its LT Billing Software. The report will track blocked services, verification status, updates and remarks.

The entire process, including physical re-verification, updating of records and revision of bills, has to be completed within three working days.

Assistant Executive Engineers and Executive Engineers have been instructed to closely monitor the exercise and fix responsibility for any lapses.