The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) on February 25, 2025, issued the Fourth Amendment to Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Supply Code) Regulation, 2004.
The following amendments have been stated:
• The following shall be inserted at the end of clause 3.3:
"An e-wallet mechanism (INR settlement) shall be implemented for prepaid/smart metering services. Under this system, an e-wallet shall be created and linked to the electricity supply connection, allowing consumers to recharge periodically based on their energy requirements as per the applicable tariff. Recharges can be made through various options, including online portals, mobile apps, local retailers, and self-service kiosks, etc."
• The following clause shall be added after clause 4.1.5:
"4.1.6 For smart meters, physical bills shall not be issued. Instead, e-bills shall be sent to the registered mobile numbers of consumers via mobile apps, SMS, and WhatsApp, or the bills shall be made available on Distribution Licensees' web portals (English & Telugu language) or similar digital platforms. Consumers can update their mobile numbers through the Distribution Licensees' apps, portals, or at designated offices or locations."
• The following shall be added after clause 4.8.3:
"4.8.4 For prepaid or smart meters, an emergency credit equivalent to his one day average consumption shall be provided to consumers before disconnection. Disconnection shall occur only after the emergency credit is fully exhausted. The Consumers shall receive a minimum of three advance notifications or alerts through mobile apps, SMS, and WhatsApp before the balance in the e-wallet becomes zero.; the first when the balance reaches three days average consumption, the second when the balance reaches two days average consumption, and the final alert when the balance reaches to zero. These notifications will serve as a reminder to recharge the account, and the Distribution Licensee may temporarily disconnect the supply once the emergency credit is exhausted if the account is not recharged without issuing any further notice. Disconnections shall not take place during holidays or non-working hours. The disconnection shall be scheduled only between 10 AM and 1 PM of the working day to allow the consumers to recharge their e wallet from any channel if their mobile app/e-device is not working for any reason. Post disconnection, consumers shall be notified through various channels, as mentioned in communicating the billing information about the zero/negative balance amount details. The connection shall be permanently disconnected if the consumer fails to recharge within three months of temporary disconnection. In such cases, the meter shall be physically removed from the consumer's premises, and the e-wallet shall be deactivated. After permanent disconnection, a new connection to such consumer shall he extended as per the Rules/Regulations in vogue"
• The following shall be inserted at the end of clause 5:
"For prepaid or smart meters, the entire recharge process must be completed, and the recharge amount shall be reflected in the consumer's account within 15 minutes of a successful transaction If a recharge is done after disconnection, the meter should automatically reconnect within 15 minutes of the successful transaction. Any complaints related to reconnection must be resolved within 4 hours."
This Regulation shall extend to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh.
This regulation shall come into force on February 25, 2025.
[Notification No. APERC/Secy/F.No. S-19(Vol-III)/D.No.101]
