Bihar government reduces electricity rates ahead of elections

The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government has announced a cut in power tariff, which will benefit lakhs of consumers across the state. The revised rates will come into effect on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, and will apply to both rural and urban consumers.

What are new tariffs for domestic consumers

With the start of the new month and financial year, over 12 million domestic consumers using more than 50 units of electricity will now have to pay Rs 0.54 per unit, while 6 million consumers with smart prepaid meters will receive an additional discount of Rs 0.25 per unit.

Add Zee Business as a Preferred Source

Any special rates for rural areas and cold storage?

According to the government, rural consumers will be charged Rs 0.54 per unit and the cold storage facilities will be billed at agriculture-based rates.

Relief for industrial consumers?

Industrial consumers making online payments will receive a 1 per cent discount, up to a maximum of Rs 50,000.

Moreover, consumers transitioning to prepaid meters will not face penalties for exceeding their approved consumption limits for the first six months. Those have installed smart prepaid meters more than six months ago and exceed their approved usage will be subject to fines.

Tariff revisions for specific consumers

KVAH-based tariffs will apply to consumers with a load between 0.5 kW and 70 kW under MDS One and MDS Two categories. Time-of-day (TOD) tariffs will be implemented for industrial and commercial consumers with a load exceeding 10 kW. Meanwhile, high-tension (HT) consumers will receive a 1 per cent discount or up to Rs 50,000 for online payments. The proposed rate hike for HT consumers has been rejected.