By SSR EVTECH ·
For most MSEDCL homes that already use 300 units or more a month, a separate EV meter cuts the cost of charging by roughly half. If your home use is very low, or you drive very little, the home meter can still be cheaper. Here is how to tell which side you are on.
Why charging on the home meter costs more
MSEDCL bills homes in slabs. The first 100 units are cheap, and every slab after that costs more per unit. When you charge an EV on the home meter, its units are added on top of what your home already uses, so they are billed at your highest slab.
A separate EV meter is a different connection on the EV charging tariff (LT-VIII). It has no slabs, so every charging unit is billed at the same flat rate.
Here are the all-in rates per unit (energy, fuel adjustment, wheeling and electricity duty) used in our EV meter savings calculator, taken from sample MSEDCL bills from August and September 2026:
| Units in the month | Home meter, all-in ₹/unit |
|---|---|
| 0 to 100 | ₹6.62 |
| 101 to 300 | ₹14.73 |
| 301 to 500 | ₹19.75 |
| 501 and above | ₹22.71 |
| Separate EV meter (LT-VIII) | ₹10.50, flat |
Home rates also carry a fixed monthly charge, which you pay anyway. Rates change with MERC orders and monthly fuel adjustment, so treat these as a guide and check your latest bill.
A worked example
Take a home that uses 464 units a month and a Tata Nexon EV Long Range (45 kWh battery, 489 km claimed range) driven 40 km a day, 30 days a month. That is 1,200 km a month. Allowing 10% for charging losses, the car needs about 123 units a month.
- On the home meter: those 123 units land in the 301 to 500 and 501+ slabs. The bill goes up by about ₹2,680 a month, or ₹21.84 per unit.
- On a separate EV meter: the same units cost about ₹1,289 a month at ₹10.50 per unit.
- Saving: about ₹1,392 a month, or roughly ₹16,700 a year, 52% less.
Your numbers will differ. Enter your own units, car and daily distance in the EV meter savings calculator to see yours.
How fast does it pay back?
An EV meter has a one-time cost: the MSEDCL connection charge and security deposit, plus the wiring from the meter to your charger. In our installation cost calculator the EV-meter package for a 7.4 kW home charger is ₹27,000. At a saving of about ₹1,392 a month, that pays back in around 20 months, and keeps saving after that.
The more you drive, the faster it pays back. Fleet cars, cabs and households with two EVs usually recover it well within a year.
When the home meter is still cheaper
- Very low home use. If your home plus the car stays under about 100 units a month, the home meter's ₹6.62 slab beats the EV rate.
- Low driving. A scooter or a car used only for short trips adds few units, so the saving may not cover the one-time cost for a long time.
- Daytime charging on solar. If rooftop solar covers your charging, the meter question changes. Ask us to check your bill.
Other reasons people choose an EV meter
- A 7.4 kW or bigger charger may not fit within your current sanctioned load. A separate EV connection gets its own load.
- Charging costs are visible on their own bill, which helps if a company reimburses them.
- Home slabs stay where they were, so the rest of your bill does not jump.
Frequently asked questions
The LT-VIII rate used here is a flat per-unit rate. MSEDCL also gives a daytime rebate on home connections for units used between 9 am and 5 pm, which the savings calculator lets you include.
In the sample LT-VIII bill used in our calculator, the fixed charge was zero. Check the current tariff when you apply, because it can change.
No. The EV connection is only for charging. Household appliances stay on your home meter.