West Bengal — 1 Unit Electricity Price

Full slab-wise rates

Billing cycle

quarterly

Verified

29 August 2026

There are three different answers to "price of 1 unit"

All three are correct — they answer different questions. WBSEDCL bills on telescopic slabs, so a single figure does not exist.

• ✓The slab rate — ₹4.10 to ₹6.81/unit. This is what the tariff order publishes, and what you want when comparing one tariff order against another.
• ✓The effective average rate — your total bill ÷ your total units, fixed charges and duty included. This is the right figure for budgeting, and the table below shows it.
• ✓The marginal rate — ₹6.81/unit, shown at the top. This is what your next unit costs if you are already in the top slab — the number that should drive a decision about running one more appliance, like an AC or a geyser.

Takeaway: ask what you need the number for — budgeting, or the next appliance.

What a unit actually costs in West Bengal, by consumption

Each row is a complete bill — energy charge, fixed charge, fuel cost adjustment and electricity duty — from the same tariff file our bill calculator uses.

Units are for one monthly billing period, assuming a 2 kW sanctioned load — most DISCOMs charge fixed charges per sanctioned kW, so a load has to be assumed. A different sanctioned load changes the fixed-charge component.

Notice this is not a straight line. On WBSEDCL the cheapest per-unit price lands around 200 units (₹5.69/unit) — below that, the ₹180 fixed charge is spread over fewer units so each one costs more, and above it the higher slabs push the rate back up.

The practical consequence: a very low-consumption household does not get the cheapest per-unit rate, because it is spreading the fixed charge over fewer units. And for a heavy-consumption household, each additional unit costs more than the average — so never budget an extra appliance at your average rate.

Takeaway: the per-unit price moves with consumption, so read the row closest to your own usage.

What gets added on top of the slab rate

The slab rate printed in the tariff order is not your whole bill. On WBSEDCL these sit on top of it:

• ＋Fixed charge — independent of consumption, usually based on sanctioned load. It applies even if you use zero units.
• ＋Meter rent and other line items — small amounts, but they also count toward your real per-unit cost.

This is why the marginal rate above is ₹6.81 while the top slab rate is ₹6.81 — the gap is FCA and duty.

Takeaway: budgeting at the slab rate will always understate the bill.

How to use this number

The most common and most expensive mistake is costing a new appliance at your average rate:

• →Adding an appliance — use the marginal rate of ₹6.81. An AC, geyser or pump stacks on top of your existing consumption, so it is billed at your highest slab.
• →Budgeting for the month — read the row nearest your consumption in the table above, since it includes the fixed charge.
• →Sizing solar or a saving — units you save come off the top slab first, so value the saving at the marginal rate, not the average.

Run this on your own consumption: WBSEDCL bill calculator, or compare across states on the unit-price directory.

Takeaway: average for budgeting, marginal for any new decision.

Where to find these numbers on your own bill

Better than any estimate is your own bill. Layouts differ by DISCOM, but these line items appear on almost all of them:

• ✓Units consumed — the difference between the current and previous meter readings. The telescopic slabs apply to this number.
• ✓Energy charge — the slab-wise computation, often broken into separate lines. Reconcile it against the slab table above.
• ✓Fixed or demand charge — tied to your sanctioned load. If it looks higher than expected, your sanctioned load may be recorded above what you actually need.
• ✓Derive your actual rate — total amount payable ÷ units consumed. It should land near your row in the table above; a large gap usually means arrears, an adjustment, or a revised FCA.

Takeaway: one division gives you your own true per-unit price.

Where these rates come from, and when they change

Every rate above comes from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd (WBSEDCL)'s published residential tariff, effective from 1 April 2025. We last verified it on 29 August 2026.

Residential tariffs in India are not set by the DISCOM alone — the state electricity regulatory commission approves them in a tariff order, and those orders are revised periodically. The fuel cost adjustment typically changes more often than the slab rates do. So check the primary source before any decision that depends on it:

The tariff source we used for WBSEDCL →

To be explicit: for this DISCOM our verification rests on a secondary source, not the DISCOM's or regulator's own published page. The rates are correct to the best of our knowledge, but confirm against the state electricity regulatory commission's tariff order before anything consequential.

Verification note: SOURCED (secondary) — WBSEDCL domestic quarterly slabs per WBERC order dated 20.03.2025 (eff 01.04.2025); fixed charge ₹30/kVA/month modelled as ₹90/kW per quarter. MVCA (monthly variable cost adjustment) and electricity duty NOT modelled. Pending primary WBERC order cross-check.

How we source and verify these figures, and what we do when a category cannot be verified, is set out in our methodology.

Takeaway: this page is a dated snapshot, not a permanent rate — reconcile against the source for anything consequential.

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