Last month my cousin called me and asked what the current rate per unit was on his APDCL bill. I told him to give me two minutes, thinking it was a one-line answer. Then I actually opened the tariff order and realised there’s no such thing as “one rate.” There are three, and which one applies to you depends on how much power you’ve used that month.
That’s the confusing part. Two flats in the same building, roughly the same usage, and the bills still don’t match. This isn’t APDCL making mistakes it’s how the slab system is designed. Once you understand it, the bill actually makes sense.
First, what is a “unit”
1 unit = 1 kWh. That’s it. If your fridge, fans and a couple of tube lights run through the day, that adds up to units on the meter, and at month-end APDCL just multiplies whatever you used by the slab rates below.
Which category are you in
APDCL bills domestic and commercial connections differently, and even within domestic there’s a split:
- Domestic-A — sanctioned load under 5kW. This is almost every regular household in Assam. Fans, lights, fridge, one AC — this is you.
- Domestic-B — load between 5kW and 30kW. Bigger houses, multiple ACs, geysers.
- Commercial (LT-IV) — shops and small businesses.
Check your latest bill. It’ll say Domestic-A or Domestic-B right there, no need to guess.
Domestic-A rates (most of you reading this)
| Units Consumed | Rate per Unit |
|---|---|
| First 120 units | ₹4.25 |
| Next 121–400 units | ₹6.30 |
| Above 400 units | ₹8.19 |
Here’s the bit people get wrong. If you used 250 units, you don’t pay ₹6.30 on all 250. The first 120 units stay at ₹4.25, only the units after that move up to ₹6.30. So your neighbour who used 240 units and you at 260 units you’re both mostly on the same rate, just a small chunk of yours crossed into the next slab.
Domestic-B rates
Above 5kW load, that cheap ₹4.25 starting slab disappears entirely. You start straight at ₹6.75 per unit. So if you recently added a second AC and your load got upgraded, don’t be surprised if the whole bill structure shifted, not just your usage.
Commercial rate
Flat ₹8.94 per unit. No slabs, no complications just units × rate.
The ₹70 fixed charge
Every domestic bill carries a flat ₹70 fixed charge, no matter how little you use. Went on a two-week trip and the house was locked? Still ₹70. It’s not tied to your sanctioned load, it’s just a flat monthly line item.
5% electricity duty
Add up your energy charge and the fixed charge, and the state adds a 5% Electricity Duty on top. This one goes to the government, not APDCL, which is why your final total is always a little higher than what the per-unit rate alone would suggest.
Smart meter households get a rebate most people don’t know about
If your connection has a smart meter, there’s a 20% rebate on whatever you consume between 9 AM and 5 PM — the Solar Time-of-Day scheme. Makes sense once you think about it: that’s when solar generation is highest, so APDCL is nudging people to shift load into daylight hours. If someone’s home during the day, running the washing machine or geyser in the afternoon instead of at night can shave a bit off the bill.
Let’s actually run the numbers
220 units, Domestic-A:
- First 120 × ₹4.25 = ₹510
- Next 100 × ₹6.30 = ₹630
- Energy charge = ₹1,140
- Fixed charge = ₹70
- Subtotal = ₹1,210
- 5% duty = ₹60.50
- Total ≈ ₹1,270.50
Your real bill can land ₹50–100 higher than this. Meter rent, old arrears, or FPPPA (fuel and power purchase cost adjustment) sometimes get added separately, and this calculation won’t catch those. Treat this as your estimate, and your actual APDCL bill copy as the final number.
Applying for a new connection
There’s no single fixed cost here — it depends on your sanctioned load, and whether APDCL needs to extend a line or set up a transformer near your house. Security deposit plus meter security plus any infrastructure charge, added up. The APDCL portal or Sewa Setu shows you the exact estimate before you pay, so go by that rather than what someone in the neighbourhood tells you they paid.
Quick answers
Price of 1 unit electricity in Assam?
Domestic-A: ₹4.25 → ₹6.30 → ₹8.19 depending on the slab. Domestic-B starts at ₹6.75. Commercial is flat ₹8.94.
Assam electricity bill per unit price for 2026?
Same numbers above — current AERC-approved rates.
Different rate for smart meter users?
Same unit rate, but a 20% rebate on units used 9 AM–5 PM.
Fixed charges in an Assam electricity bill?
₹70 flat, every month, regardless of usage.
Electricity duty in Assam?
5% on your total bill.
Commercial electricity rate per unit in Assam?
Flat ₹8.94, LT-IV, no slabs.
Based on the AERC Tariff Order and APDCL’s published schedule for FY 2026-27. Rates get revised from time to time, so treat this as a working estimate — your actual APDCL bill or the myBijulee app has the final figure.
