44% of Chennai power consumers pay bills online

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation have been witnessing a steady increase in the low-tension service consumers in Chennai opting for the online payment of electricity charges with nearly 44 per cent of the consumers taking to it.

According to the Tangedco data, out of the 42.9 lakh LT service connections in Chennai, about 18.9 lakh LT consumers or 44 per cent of the city consumers pay their electricity charges online. In the case of the HT consumers, nearly 87 per cent of the total 2069 HT consumers were paying their electricity charges on online mode.

In 2020-21, 6.81 lakh LT and HT online transactions happened in the Chennai region in April 2020 and it went up to 8.63 lakh transactions in April last year. “Now the online transaction has touched 10.05 lakh in March this year which is a 21 per cent increase from April 2021,” said Tangedco sources.

In terms of the transaction value, the sources said that Tangedco collected Rs 590 crore through online mode from the LT and HT consumers in Chennai Region in March this year as against Rs 480 crore in March last year. Across the State, the number of online transactions has doubled from 24.07 lakh in April 2020 to 48.50 lakh in March this year, the sources said, adding that in the corresponding period, the Tangedco collected Rs 1,263 crore in April 2020 from Rs 2,502 crore in March this year.

A senior official said that the power utility has collected 74 per cent of the total revenue through the digital mode of collection. “Tangedco has facilitated its consumers to make payment of current consumption charges through various modes including offline counters, net banking, Bharat Bill Payment System, e-Seva centre, Post office, Payment Gateways, Debit Card/Credit Card, bank counter, ATMs, etc. In view of the above facilities extended to the consumers, the Tangedco’s collection efficiency always stood at more than 99%, which is the highest in the country, ” the official said, adding that the field officials at the section officers were instructed to encourage the consumers to pay their electricity charges through online mode