Power Bill Relief Scheme: Outstanding amount in UP reaches thousands of crores

Power Bill Discount UP: The Uttar Pradesh government has announced the Electricity Bill Relief Scheme 2025 with the aim of promoting electricity bill payments and providing relief to consumers. This scheme will be applicable to consumers who register between December 1 and December 31. Under the scheme, special discounts will be offered on electricity bill arrears and surcharges, to help recover dues from consumers who have not paid their bills for a long time.

A total of ₹55,980 crore is outstanding from 1.45 crore electricity consumers in the state, of which ₹24,775 crore is solely from surcharges. A special relief scheme is being implemented for these consumers, under which the surcharge will be waived 100%, and a 25% discount will be given on the principal bill amount.

Consumers Who Have Not Paid Bills for a Long Time

Domestic consumers, in particular, have a high amount of arrears. In the state, 54.12 lakh consumers have not paid their electricity bills even once after taking a connection. These consumers owe a total of ₹32,843 crore, including bills and surcharges.

• According to departmental data:
• LMV 1 (Domestic) maximum 2 kilowatts
• LMV 2 (Commercial) 1 kilowatt

Many consumers with these connections have not paid their bills for a long time. A total of 91 lakh consumers owe ₹15,000 crore, which includes ₹8,037 crore in surcharges.

Dominance of Domestic Consumers

The number of domestic consumers among those who have not paid their electricity bills in the state is higher than commercial consumers. Data indicates that 49.44 lakh domestic consumers with connections up to one kilowatt owe ₹12,801 crore in bills and ₹12,518 crore in surcharges. 4.28 lakh consumers with a 2-kilowatt load owe ₹3,005 crore in bills and ₹3,902 crore in surcharges. Among commercial consumers, 39,742 consumers with 1-kilowatt connections owe ₹299 crore in bills and ₹318 crore in surcharges. Thus, it is clear that domestic consumers account for a larger share in terms of large outstanding amounts.

Benefits and Discounts of the Electricity Relief Scheme

Under the scheme, consumers will receive discounts at different times:

• December 1 to December 31, 2025:
• 25% discount on the principal bill
• 100% surcharge waiver
• January 2026: 20% discount
• February 2026: 15% discount

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the scheme as a public welfare step and stated that it would benefit common citizens and small electricity consumers. Energy Minister AK Sharma also appealed to consumers to take advantage of the scheme and fulfil their responsibility by clearing their dues. He has instructed that consumers who have never paid their bills, those who have not paid for a long time, and those involved in theft cases have been included in this scheme.

How to Register and Pay

Under the Electricity Relief Scheme, consumers can register through their nearest electricity distribution centre or via the online portal. The benefits of the scheme can be availed from December 1, 2025, to February 28, 2026.

Advice to Consumers

• It will be best to register in December during the first phase, as the surcharge will be completely waived and there will be a 25% discount on the bill.
• In the subsequent phases, the discount will gradually decrease.
• To avail the benefits of the scheme, it is necessary to update information on all outstanding bills and old surcharges.