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Your bill hides the six numbers your solar installer needs. Find them in five minutes.
Image: Solar farm at Krishnapuram Tatipudi Water Works aerial view 02 by Saiphani02, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
An electricity bill is a dense page of small print. Before you talk to a solar installer, a five-minute reading of your CSPDCL bill will tell you what to ask for and how to size. This guide shows the numbers on a CSPDCL bill that matter for solar and what each means.
Quick answer: note the consumer number, tariff category, sanctioned load, units consumed (for twelve months), fixed charge and any arrears. Units set the size; sanctioned load sets the limit; arrears must be cleared.
| Number | Where to find it | Why it matters for solar |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer number | Top of the bill | Used for portal registration and net metering |
| Tariff category | Near the header | Residential, commercial or industrial decides subsidy and tariff |
| Sanctioned load (kW) | Connection details | Limits net-metered capacity |
| Units consumed | Reading and consumption section | The basis for sizing |
| Fixed charge | Charges breakdown | Remains even with solar |
| Arrears or previous balance | Payment summary | Must be cleared before approvals |
Collect twelve months of units, add them and divide by twelve. Use this average to size the system, as explained in solar system size by electricity bill. If you only have a few bills, adjust for season: summer months usually run above average.
Domestic tariffs rise by slab. The first units cost less and the later units cost more. When solar offsets your highest-slab units first, the saving per unit is higher than your average rate. This is why a household with a high bill often pays back faster than one with a small bill.
Net-metered solar capacity is generally linked to sanctioned load. If your load is 3 kW and you want 5 kW of solar, you may need a load enhancement. Raise it with your installer early. Read our CSPDCL net metering guide.
Fixed charges and duties remain with solar. Expect a small bill even in a month with zero net units. See our worked example in net metering bill example.
A family receives a bill showing 410 units for the month, a sanctioned load of 3 kW, a fixed charge and a small arrears line carried from an earlier month. They collect eleven other bills and find units ranging from 240 in winter to 560 in May, averaging 380. Dividing 380 by 30 gives 12.7 units a day, which at 4.2 units per kW per day gives about 3 kW of solar. The sanctioned load of 3 kW matches the size, so no enhancement is needed. The arrears line is cleared before applying. In ten minutes the family has the five facts an installer needs: average units, system size, sanctioned load, tariff category and clear dues.
| What you see | What it may mean | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated readings | Meter not read; units may be averaged | Take a dated photo of the meter and ask for a corrected reading |
| Arrears line | Unpaid dues from earlier | Clear before applying |
| Sanctioned load far below your needs | Load enhancement needed | Apply early with your installer's help |
| Name differs from Aadhaar | Connection in a previous owner's name | Apply for name transfer first |
Start your solar journey with a pencil and your last twelve bills. The next step is a free survey. Speak to a solar company in Raipur that handles solar installation in Raipur from design to commissioning, and read the best solar company in Raipur checklist before you sign anything. For background, see solar in Raipur and the solar Raipur locality guide, explore the full solar blog, and check PM Surya Ghar Yojana in Raipur for subsidy slabs.
Consumer number, units consumed, tariff category, sanctioned load, fixed charge and any arrears. Twelve months of units are the basis for sizing.
The maximum load your connection is approved for. Net-metered solar capacity is linked to it.
Seasonal use, especially air conditioning, changes units. Averaging twelve months smooths it out.
Yes. Outstanding dues can block feasibility approval or subsidy processing.
From the distribution company's portal, app or sub-division office, or from your saved copies.
Visit C-29, Sector 3, Devendra Nagar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492001, call 083051 31420 or send your details online for a free survey and a written quotation. Our solar installation in Raipur team replies the same working day.
A good solar company in Raipur survey comes first. Read about solar in Raipur, compare firms with our best solar company in Raipur questions and see how solar installation in Raipur works in your solar Raipur neighbourhood. Browse every article on the solar blog, or see PM Surya Ghar Yojana in Raipur and our solar services.
We will read your bills with you and return a size, cost and payback in writing.