Updated: July 2026
In 2026, the HESCO per unit price ranges from about Rs 3.95 per unit for the lowest lifeline users to roughly Rs 47.69 per unit for homes using more than 700 units a month. These are the NEPRA-notified national slab rates that HESCO applies, effective from 1 July 2025 and carried into the 2026-27 billing year, with a small reduction of about Rs 1.99 per unit notified for July and August 2026. Your actual rate depends on how many units you use and whether you count as a protected or non-protected consumer.
Rates shift every few months once fuel and tax adjustments are added, so treat the numbers here as a guide and always confirm the exact figure on your latest bill. If you just want to see your current bill and units, you can check your HESCO bill online on our main HESCO page, and settle it through the methods in our HESCO bill payment online guide.
This page sticks to the tariff: what one unit of bijli costs, how the slabs work, and how to bring the bill down.
HESCO Electricity Rates 2026
HESCO does not set its own tariff. It applies the uniform consumer-end tariff that NEPRA notifies for every distribution company. The table below shows the residential slab structure for 2026. Protected consumers pay far less per unit than non-protected consumers.
| Consumer type | Units per month | Rate (Rs/unit) |
|---|---|---|
| Lifeline | 1-50 | 3.95 |
| Lifeline | 51-100 | 7.74 |
| Protected | 1-100 | about 10.54 |
| Protected | 101-200 | about 13.01 |
| Non-protected | 1-100 | about 23-24 |
| Non-protected | 101-200 | about 30 |
| Non-protected | 201-300 | 33.10 |
| Non-protected | 301-400 | high 30s |
| Non-protected | 401-500 | low 40s |
| Non-protected | 501-700 | mid 40s |
| Non-protected | 701+ | 47.69 |
The lifeline and protected figures, along with the Rs 33.10 and Rs 47.69 rates, come from NEPRA’s 2026 notifications. The middle non-protected slabs move with each adjustment, so we have shown them as ranges. Confirm the exact figure on your latest bill.
Protected vs non-protected, in plain words. You are a protected consumer if you have stayed at or below 200 units in each of the recent months, your sanctioned load is under 5 kW, and no air conditioner is registered on your meter. Cross 200 units in any single month and you drop into the non-protected category, where the whole bill is charged at the higher rates. This is the biggest reason a small rise in usage can cause a big jump in cost.
How to Calculate Your HESCO Bill from Units
You do not need a fancy hesco bill calculator to get a rough idea. Here is the method.
- Find your units for the month. This is the difference between your current and previous meter readings, shown on the bill as “Units Consumed”.
- Decide whether you are protected or non-protected this month.
- Apply the slab rates band by band to work out the energy cost.
- Add the Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) for the month, charged per unit.
- Add fixed charges, electricity duty, GST, and the TV fee.
- The total of all these lines is your payable amount.
Worked example: 300 units (approximate)
Say a non-protected home uses 300 units. Slab billing charges each band at its own rate, so a rough build-up looks like this:
- First 100 units at about Rs 23.59 = about Rs 2,359
- Next 100 units (101-200) at about Rs 30 = about Rs 3,000
- Next 100 units (201-300) at Rs 33.10 = about Rs 3,310
- Energy cost so far: about Rs 8,669
Now add the extras, all approximate:
- FPA at, say, Rs 3.50 per unit x 300 units = about Rs 1,050
- Fixed charge = about Rs 75 to Rs 150
- Electricity duty (around 1.5%) = about Rs 145
- GST at 17% on energy plus FPA = about Rs 1,652
- TV fee = Rs 35
That lands near Rs 11,600 to Rs 11,800 for the month. This is a rough estimate only. Your real bill depends on the exact FPA and any surcharge in force that month, so use this as a sanity check, not a precise figure. Many homes treat 200 units as a hard ceiling for exactly this reason.
Extra Charges on Your Bill
The per-unit rate is only part of the story. These extra lines are why the total often looks higher than “units times rate”.
Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA). This tracks the gap between the fuel cost assumed in the tariff and the actual fuel cost that month. For HESCO it usually sits between about Rs 3.0 and Rs 4.5 per unit, though it can be a credit in cheaper months. It is charged on every unit you use.
Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA). Every three months NEPRA adjusts capacity payments and spreads them across bills. A recent QTA added roughly Rs 0.35 per unit. It shows up for a few months and then rolls off.
Electricity duty. A provincial charge of around 1.5% of the energy cost.
General Sales Tax (GST). 17%, applied to the energy cost plus FPA. This is often the single biggest add-on.
TV licence fee. Rs 35 per month, collected on behalf of PTV.
Fixed charges and meter rent. Single-phase connections carry a small fixed monthly charge, commonly around Rs 75, with more for three-phase. Meter rent, where it applies, is only a few rupees.
Late payment surcharge. Miss the due date and 10% of the bill is added. More on avoiding that in our payment guide.
Why Did My HESCO Bill Increase This Month?
Three things usually explain a sudden jump in your bijli ka bill.
You crossed a slab boundary. Going from 199 to 205 units can push a protected home into the non-protected category, and the entire bill is then charged at higher rates. Those extra few units end up costing far more than a few units should.
The FPA swung upward. If fuel was expensive two months ago, that cost lands on your current bill as a higher FPA. Two homes using the same units in different months can pay different amounts purely because of this.
More peak-hour usage. If you are on a Time-of-Use meter, running heavy appliances in the evening peak window costs more per unit. A few extra hours of AC or an iron used at the wrong time adds up.
A temporary surcharge can also appear across all bills. For example, a surcharge of about Rs 3.82 per unit was applied nationally from March through June 2026. Check the line items on your bill to see which one actually moved. You can compare a few months side by side after you check your HESCO bill online.
HESCO Peak and Off-Peak Hours
If your home has a Time-of-Use (TOU) meter, HESCO charges a higher rate during the evening peak. HESCO peak hours generally run from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, though the exact window shifts slightly between summer and winter.
Everything outside the peak window is off-peak and cheaper per unit. Homes with a single flat-rate meter are not affected by this. But if you see separate “peak” and “off-peak” units on your bill, you are on a TOU tariff and timing matters.
7 Ways to Lower Your HESCO Bill
Small habits add up over a month. Here are the changes that actually move the needle.
- Stay under 200 units if you are close. Protected status is worth a lot. If you are hovering near the line, trimming a little usage keeps your whole bill at the lower rate.
- Shift heavy loads off-peak. On a TOU meter, run the washing machine, iron, and water pump outside the 6 PM to 10 PM window.
- Set the AC to 26 degrees. Every degree lower burns noticeably more units. 26 degrees with a fan feels the same and costs less.
- Switch to LED bulbs and efficient fans. Old tube lights and ceiling fans quietly eat units all day. LEDs and DC inverter fans pay for themselves.
- Kill standby power. TVs, chargers, and the water dispenser draw power even when idle. Switch them off at the socket.
- Service the AC and clean the filters. A dirty filter makes the compressor work harder for the same cooling.
- Consider solar net metering. If your usage is high year-round, rooftop solar with net metering can cut the grid bill sharply and export surplus units back. Get a quote before you commit.
Watching the slab boundary is the single highest-value habit for most protected homes.
FAQs
What is the current HESCO per unit price in 2026?
It ranges from about Rs 3.95 per unit for lifeline users up to roughly Rs 47.69 per unit above 700 units, based on NEPRA’s 2026 slab rates effective from 1 July 2025. A reduction of about Rs 1.99 per unit was notified for July and August 2026. Your exact rate depends on your slab and consumer status.
What does 1 unit of bijli cost in Hyderabad?
One unit equals one kilowatt-hour. The 1 unit bijli price is not fixed. It depends on which slab that unit falls into. For a protected home the marginal unit may cost around Rs 10 to Rs 13, while a high-usage non-protected home can pay Rs 40 or more per unit before taxes.
What is the difference between protected and non-protected consumers?
Protected consumers stay at or below 200 units a month, have a sanctioned load under 5 kW, and no registered AC. They pay heavily subsidised rates. Cross 200 units in any single month and the whole bill is charged at higher non-protected rates.
Why is my hesco unit rate today higher than the slab table?
Because the slab rate is only the energy charge. FPA, QTA, GST, electricity duty, and the TV fee are added on top. GST alone adds 17%. That is why the effective cost per unit on your bill is higher than the headline tariff.
Bijli ki qeemat itni kyun hai is mahine?
Aam wajahat teen hain: aap ne slab boundary cross kar li, FPA barh gaya, ya peak hours mein zyada bijli use hui. Apne bill par line items dekh kar pata chal jaye ga ke kis charge ne bill barhaya.
How can I estimate my bill before it arrives?
Note your units, apply the slab rates band by band, add roughly Rs 3 to Rs 4.50 per unit for FPA, then add about 17% GST plus small fixed charges. This gives a close estimate. For the confirmed figure, wait for the printed bill.
Related tariff guides
You can also check any bijli bill online for every distribution company in one place.