Punjab free electricity 2026 gives every PSPCL domestic connection 300 units free each month, and a zero electricity bill for any household that stays inside it. The detail that catches people out is that most Punjab households are billed once every two months, so the number to measure against on your bill is 600 units, not 300. Cross it by a single unit and the waiver disappears entirely, because this is a full waiver and not a discount on the units above the cap.
Free electricity units per month, and what your bill actually shows
The scheme is written in monthly units but delivered on a two-month bill. Reading the monthly figure against a bi-monthly bill is the single commonest reason people think they have been charged wrongly.
| Punjab free electricity | Position |
|---|---|
| Free units per month | A domestic PSPCL connection gets 300 free units a month. |
| Two-month bill | Bills are bi-monthly, so 600 units are free on each bill. |
| Bill at 600 units | You pay nothing at 600 units or less. |
| Bill at 601 units | All 601 units become payable, not just the extra one. |
| Registration | No registration is needed, the subsidy applies automatically. |
| Other connections | Commercial, industrial and farm connections are not covered. |
Important Links
| Link | Status |
|---|---|
| PSPCL bill check / payment | Click here · Live |
| Tariff notices | Click here · Live |
| Tariff circular 06/2025 PDF | Click here · FY 2025-26 |
| Punjab Government portal | Click here · Live |
| Sarkari Yojana updates | Click here |
| Delhi Free Electricity | Click here |
Note: The circular carries the FY 2025-26 rate schedule. Delhi gives 200 free units a month.
Eligibility rules and conditions
The waiver is a Government of Punjab subsidy sitting on top of the regulator’s tariff, not a change to the tariff itself. That is why the conditions come from a separate government letter rather than the tariff order.
| Eligibility condition | Rule |
|---|---|
| Domestic connection | Metered domestic connections supplied by PSPCL qualify. |
| Second connection | A household with two connections gets the benefit on one. |
| Smart meter | Smart meters are covered and the bill shows the subsidy. |
| Government order | Letter POWER-PR/28/2024-POWER REFORMS/213 dated 11.03.2025 sets the rule. |
| Tariff source | The PSERC tariff order is circulated as Commercial Circular 06/2025. |
| Bill dispute | Take the bill to your PSPCL sub-division office. |
Unit rate above the 300-unit limit
Because the waiver is all-or-nothing, the slab rates only matter once you cross the cap. At that point they apply to the whole consumption, which is why the jump is so much larger than the price of one unit.
| Punjab bijli unit rate 2026 | Rate per unit |
|---|---|
| 0 – 100 units | Rs 4.29 a unit for loads up to 2 kW. |
| 101 – 300 units | Rs 6.76 a unit for loads up to 7 kW. |
| Above 300 (FY 2025-26) | Rs 7.75 a unit under the FY 2025-26 schedule. |
| Above 300 (from 01.04.2026) | The PSERC order cut this rate to Rs 7.05. |
| Fixed charge | Rs 50 to Rs 110 per kW, by sanctioned load. |
| 301st unit cost | Crossing the limit costs about Rs 1,780 on FY 2025-26 slabs. |
Note: The 301st unit is so expensive because all 301 units become payable.
That last row is the number worth remembering. Going from 300 units to 301 in a month does not add about seven rupees to a zero bill, it creates a bill of roughly 1,780 rupees, since 100 units are then charged at 4.29, another 200 at 6.76 and the last at the above-300 rate. The reduction of the top slab to Rs 7.05 from April 2026 softens the penalty slightly but does not change the shape of it.
Checking your electricity bill
- Open the PSPCL portal or the PSPCL mobile app
- Enter your account number, printed at the top of any earlier bill
- Open the current bill and find the units consumed for the billing period
- Compare that figure against 600 if the period covers two months, or 300 for a single month
- Check the subsidy line, which shows the amount the government has absorbed on your behalf
- If the bill is not zero and your units are below the cap, raise it with your PSPCL sub-division office with the bill in hand
Bill not zero even under the limit
A bill that should be zero and is not usually comes down to one of these, and each is checked from the bill itself rather than by visiting an office.
| Bill not zero | Likely reason |
|---|---|
| Over 600 units | A two-month bill is measured against 600 units, not 300. |
| Fixed charges | Fixed charges and government duties are not waived. |
| Second connection | The bill may be for a second connection, which is not covered. |
| Arrears | Old unpaid balances stay payable even when units are free. |
| Commercial meter | Shops and workshops on commercial meters are outside the scheme. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Punjab me kitne unit bijli free hai?
300 units a month for a domestic PSPCL connection. Because most Punjab households get a bill every two months, the figure to check on the bill itself is 600 units, not 300.
What happens if I use more than 300 units?
The waiver is all or nothing. Crossing the cap means every unit becomes payable at the normal domestic slab rates, not just the units above the cap.
How much does one extra unit actually cost?
On the FY 2025-26 slabs, going from 300 to 301 units in a month turns a zero bill into roughly Rs 1,780, because 100 units are then charged at Rs 4.29, 200 at Rs 6.76 and the last at the above-300 rate.
Do I need to register for the Punjab free electricity scheme?
No. There is no separate registration. The subsidy is applied automatically to eligible domestic connections and appears as a subsidy line on the bill.
Why is my bill not zero when I used under the limit?
Check the billing period first, since a two-month bill is measured against 600 units. Fixed charges, government duties, arrears from an earlier bill and second connections all remain payable outside the free-units waiver.
What is the Punjab electricity rate above the free limit?
Rs 7.75 per unit above 300 units under the FY 2025-26 schedule. The PSERC order for FY 2026-27, effective 1 April 2026, reduced that to Rs 7.05 per unit.