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Ludhiana: Over 2,500 govt offices in dist to switch to prepaid power billing from Feb 15
Over ₹300 crore in dues prompt move; only non-essential services to shift to advance billing, essential services exempted
In a major push to enforce billing discipline and curb mounting arrears, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has identified 2,538 government electricity connections in Ludhiana for conversion to prepaid smart metering, beginning February 15, officials aware of the matter said.
The move follows alarming defaults by government departments across Punjab, which together owe more than ₹302 crore in unpaid electricity bills in Ludhiana alone as of November 2025, prompting the power utility to tighten recovery mechanisms.
Officials said the prepaid rollout would be limited to non-essential government services, while emergency and critical public utilities would remain outside its ambit.
Of the nearly 7,400 government electricity connections in Ludhiana and adjoining areas, around 4,862 are linked to essential services such as hospitals, water works, street lighting, jails and police stations, which have been exempted from prepaid metering.
In a notification issued on January 28, PSPCL formally outlined the implementation framework for prepaid smart electricity meters for Punjab government connections, with the policy coming into force from February 15.
As per the notification, prepaid smart meters will be installed on government connections with a sanctioned load of up to 45 kVA, including single-phase connections up to 7 kW and three-phase connections ranging between 7 kW and 45 kVA.
One connection per premises
PSPCL has also directed that only one electricity connection will be permitted per government office or premises, including grid stations, sub-division offices and nearby board offices. Multiple or duplicate connections at the same location will be disconnected as part of the rationalisation exercise.
Installation and billing norms
Under the new guidelines, smart meters will be installed outside government premises — on poles, pillar boxes or metallic meter boxes — to prevent tampering and ensure ease of access. Billing will shift entirely to a paperless system, with monthly bills delivered through SMS, email or WhatsApp.
Departments have been instructed to submit updated contact details of nodal officers or drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) to ensure timely billing alerts.
Prepaid rules and rebates
Under the prepaid metering system, departments will be required to pay in advance for electricity consumption and will be eligible for a 1% rebate on energy charges.
PSPCL will bear the entire cost of procurement and installation of prepaid meters, while existing security deposits will be adjusted or refunded.
The minimum recharge amount has been fixed at ₹1,000, with automated alerts triggered when the balance falls to 50%, 25% and 10%.
Power supply will be automatically disconnected once the balance reaches zero, but only between 10 am and 1 pm on working days and restored immediately after recharge without any reconnection fee.
Chief engineer Jagdev Hans said the initiative was aimed at improving billing efficiency, reducing losses and promoting transparent and responsible electricity consumption among government departments.
