The launch of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) mobile app on the Apple store has expanded the option for electronic payment of electricity bills. The app has crossed the four lakh downloads mark, raking in revenue of ₹55 crore.
With the launch of the app for iPhone users, the Tangedco has a bouquet of facilities for paying electricity bills, including an Android app, net banking, debit and credit cards, apart from post office counters and bank counters. The launch of the app on the Android platform, which was inaugurated on July 12 last year, has also been a hit with the consumers, with more than 4 lakh downloading the app and having made payments to the tune of ₹55,27,34,000.
Capacity ramped up
The Tangedco, which has more than 2.70 crore low tension consumers in the State, has been ramping up online network capacity, which has seen a big jump in the number of electronic transfers over the last few years. The number of customers paying electricity bills on the Internet has almost doubled.
The customer base has crossed 27 lakh in 2017-18 against only 12.53 lakh in 2012-13. The Tangedco has received payments of ₹450 crore against ₹117.44 crore in the same period. The total number of customers making electronic payment of power bills was 25 lakh (₹352 crore) in 2017-16, 23.52 lakh (₹340 crore) in 2015-16 and 20.47 lakh customers (₹251.19 crore) in 2014-15. In 2013-14, the Tangedco collected ₹177.22 crore from 17.23 lakh customers.
A Tangedco official said the electricity department had been taking steps to popularise the online payment facility by partneringpost offices, commercial banks and e-seva centres for easy payment options.
