CHENNAI: Digital payments accounted for nearly 87% of Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited’s (TNPDCL) revenue collection, with the utility receiving Rs 62,537 crore online in 2025-26 out of the total collection of Rs 71,882 crore. According to TNPDCL data accessed by TNIE, the utility recorded 10.63 crore digital payment transactions in 2025-26. The number of transactions has more than doubled in four years, rising 105.6% from 5.17 crore in 2021-22. The amount collected digitally also increased from Rs 24,896 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 62,537 crore in 2025-26.
The shift towards online payments comes as TNPDCL grapples with nearly 54,000 vacancies. The utility has been encouraging consumers to pay their bills online while reducing the number of physical bill collection centres. Staff freed up from these centres are being deployed for meter reading and assessment work, officials said. TNPDCL has a sanctioned strength of 1,10,960 posts, of which only 57,385 are currently being utilised, leaving 53,575 vacancies which is nearly half its sanctioned workforce.
Promoting digital payments was part of the efforts to reduce the workload at section offices, a senior official said. Another official said a rule requiring consumers with electricity bills above Rs 4,000 to pay through online channels, cheque or demand draft had also contributed to the shift.