Fields that identify your connection
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Service number / USC number | Your unique service connection number, the identifier for every payment, complaint and online lookup. AP service numbers are commonly 13 digits. Keep it saved somewhere. |
| Consumer name and address | The registered holder of the connection. This is the name a transfer of ownership has to change; paying the bills does not by itself make a connection yours. |
| Section / ERO / division | The DISCOM office that administers your connection. This is where you go for category corrections, load changes and meter complaints. |
| Category code | The APERC tariff category applied to your service, such as domestic, commercial or industrial. Every rate on your bill follows from this field. |
| Connected / sanctioned load | The load in kW your connection is approved for. It drives your fixed charge, and exceeding it materially is a compliance issue as well as a safety one. |
| Meter number | The serial number of the installed meter. Check it against the physical meter after any replacement. |
Two of these are worth a deliberate check. If the category code does not match how the premises is actually used, your rates are wrong in one direction or the other and it needs correcting at the section office. If the sanctioned load is far above what you use, you are paying fixed charges for capacity you do not need.
Fields that determine the amount
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Previous reading and date | The cumulative meter reading at the last billing, and when it was taken. |
| Present reading and date | The current cumulative reading and its date. The gap between the two dates is your actual billing period. |
| Units consumed | Present reading minus previous reading — the electricity you are being billed for. |
| Meter status | Whether the meter was read normally, or was found locked, stopped or faulty. Anything other than a normal read means your units may be estimated. |
| Energy charge | The slab-wise or flat-rate cost of your units under your category. |
| Fixed charge | Your load in kW multiplied by the fixed rate for your category. |
| Customer charge | A flat monthly amount that steps up with your consumption level. |
| Electricity duty and other levies | Statutory charges collected through the bill. |
The single most useful habit is to compare the number of days between the reading dates with the previous bill before reacting to a higher total. A cycle that ran 36 days instead of 28 will show roughly a quarter more units for identical behaviour, and it may push you into a higher slab as well.
Fields about money you already owe
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Arrears | Unpaid amounts carried forward from earlier bills. If arrears appear on a bill you believe you have settled, keep the payment receipt and take it to your section office. |
| Delayed payment surcharge (DPS) | A penalty for paying after the due date. Domestic, cottage industry and small commercial services are charged ₹25 per month; other LT categories pay 5 paise per ₹100 per day with a ₹150 minimum. |
| Additional consumption deposit (ACD) | A security deposit held against your account, periodically revised to reflect your consumption. It is your money, held as security, and is adjusted on final closure of the service. |
| Adjustments | Corrections for earlier provisional billing, meter replacement or a resolved complaint. A large adjustment is normally the explanation for a bill that looks out of pattern. |
| Net amount and due date | What to pay and by when. Paying even a day late triggers DPS on the next bill. |
What should make you look twice
- A meter status other than a normal read, especially several months running. Persistent average billing needs to be raised, because the correction eventually arrives in one lump.
- Units far outside your seasonal pattern with no change in usage. Compare against the same month last year, not last month, since air conditioning and irrigation are strongly seasonal.
- A billing period much longer or shorter than a month, which distorts monthly slab thresholds.
- A category code that does not match how the premises is used.
- A meter number on the bill that does not match the meter on your wall.
- Arrears you believe you have paid, or an unexplained large adjustment.
- Zero or absurdly low units followed by a very large bill, which usually means the meter had stopped and was later replaced.
Where to take a complaint
Start with the DISCOM helpline on 1912, or the complaint facility on your DISCOM’s own portal, and keep the docket number. Unresolved matters escalate to the consumer grievance redressal forum of your DISCOM, and from there to the Electricity Ombudsman.
Paying, and keeping records
Payments are made on your DISCOM’s own website or through its authorised channels, using your service number. This site links to those official pages but never collects payments itself.
- Keep digital receipts for at least a year. They are the only practical answer to an arrear that should not be there.
- Note the due date rather than relying on the SMS, since DPS is mechanical once the date passes.
- Photograph your meter reading occasionally, particularly if your meter has been read as locked or estimated. A dated photograph settles disputes quickly.
- Be wary of anyone contacting you about a disconnection and asking for payment through a link or app. DISCOM dues are payable on the DISCOM’s own site; this is a common fraud pattern.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my service number on the bill?
It is printed near the top with the consumer name and address, often labelled service number or unique service connection number. In Andhra Pradesh it is commonly a 13-digit number, and you need it for online payment and for any complaint.
What is ACD and will I get it back?
The additional consumption deposit is a security deposit held against your connection and revised periodically in line with your consumption. It remains your money and is adjusted when the service is finally closed.
My bill says the meter was not read. What should I do?
Ensure the meter is accessible for reading, and report it to your section office or on 1912 if it recurs. Continuous estimated billing eventually gets corrected in one adjustment, which is unpleasant if it has been running for months.
Can I change my tariff category?
Categories are assigned by the DISCOM according to the actual use of the premises, under the definitions in the tariff order. If the use has genuinely changed, apply to your section office with supporting documents. It is not a setting you can choose.