Understand your electricity bill line by line
An electricity bill packs readings, slabs, surcharges and arrears into one page, so a sudden jump is hard to explain. TellBrief reads your bill and shows how many units you used, what each charge is, whether the reading was actual or estimated, any old dues added, and the dates to pay by.
How to do it
- Take a photo of your bill or download the PDF from your power company's app or site.
- Add it to TellBrief and tap Brief.
- See the units used, each charge and the total.
- Check whether the reading was estimated and whether arrears were added.
What TellBrief tells you
- Units used, from the previous and current readings
- Every charge explained: fixed, energy, fuel adjustment and duty
- Arrears or late fees added from earlier bills
- The due date and the last date before disconnection
Words you'll see
- Unit (kWh)
- One kilowatt-hour of electricity. Units used = current reading − previous reading.
- Fixed charge
- A charge for your connection's sanctioned load, paid even if you use little power.
- Energy charge
- The charge for units used, often in slabs: the rate rises as you use more.
- Fuel adjustment charge
- An extra per unit when the cost of power to the company changes. Names vary by state.
- Sanctioned load
- The power your connection is approved for, in kW. Using more can add a penalty.
- Estimated reading
- The meter wasn't read, so the bill guesses your usage. The next actual reading corrects it.
Questions
Why is my bill suddenly high?
Common reasons are an estimated earlier bill being corrected, crossing into a higher slab, arrears, or a new tariff. TellBrief shows which one applies.
What if I think the reading is wrong?
Compare it with your meter and raise a complaint with your power company, quoting your account number.
Does it work for every state's bill?
Yes. It reads bills from any power company, in English or Hindi.
More guides
- Read your EPF passbook and check every monthRead your EPF passbook: your share, the employer's share, the pension (EPS) part, interest and transfers, and spot a month your employer missed.
- Understand the reply to your RTI applicationGot a reply to your RTI application? See what was answered, what was refused and why, the fee asked, and the deadline for a first appeal.
- Know what your affidavit says before you signBefore you sign an affidavit, see what it says you are declaring, the verification clause, stamp paper and notary details, in simple English or Hindi.
General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.
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