ToD savings are credible only when the bill shows enough load can move from costly hours to cheaper hours.
By the numbers
India's consumer-rights rules define a ToD tariff with 8 solar hours in a day, with actual slots set by the DISCOM order in force.
Source: Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2023
The national ToD rule sets solar-hour tariff at least 20% below normal tariff, subject to the DISCOM order in force.
Source: Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2023
The national ToD rule sets C&I peak-period tariff at not less than 1.20x normal and other consumer peak tariff at not less than 1.10x normal, subject to the DISCOM order in force.
Source: Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2023
A 100 kWh/day load shifted for 250 days moves 25,000 kWh/year before any process-risk derating.
Source: BillTrends default model
BillTrends derates behavioural ToD shifting by 0.8 by default to account for missed shifts and process constraints.
Source: BillTrends default model
Find the ToD rows
Indian bills may show ToD units, ToD charges, ToD rebates, peak-slot consumption, off-peak consumption, or meter data summaries. India's consumer-rights rules define a ToD tariff with 8 solar hours in a day, but the exact slots still come from the DISCOM order in force.
A one-month ToD row tells you the symptom. A year of bills shows whether the load pattern is stable enough to act on.
- List each ToD slot, units, rate, charge, and rebate if available.
- Check whether the consumer's tariff category is ToD-applicable.
- Compare peak units against total units and production schedule.
Estimate shiftable load
Not all load can move. Lighting, safety systems, refrigeration, and process-critical equipment may be fixed. Pumps, compressors, charging, batch production, thermal storage, and some HVAC loads may be shiftable.
Translate the shift into rupees: units shifted times the tariff spread, adjusted for operational cost and risk. A 100 kWh/day shift repeated for 250 days moves 25,000 kWh/year before process-risk derating.
- Start with a small operational shift before capex.
- Use controls or scheduling where manual discipline is unreliable.
- Avoid changes that create demand spikes or production risk.
Connect ToD with solar and BESS
Solar can reduce daytime grid import, and the national ToD rule sets solar-hour tariff at least 20% below normal tariff. The strongest ToD savings may still sit in evening peak slots after solar generation falls.
A combined bill audit and solar report makes this visible because both models use the same consumption and tariff view.
- Check whether solar generation overlaps expensive daytime slots.
- Check whether BESS can shave peak demand or replace costly peak units.
- Model sensitivity before recommending storage.
Related BillTrends pages
FAQ
Do all Indian electricity bills have ToD tariffs?
No. ToD applicability depends on state, DISCOM, tariff category, load, and tariff order.
What is the simplest ToD saving action?
Shift non-critical load such as pumping, charging, batch processes, or thermal pre-cooling into cheaper hours where operations allow it.
Can ToD savings pay for automation?
Sometimes. Compare annual shifted-load savings against controls, scheduling, maintenance, and production risk before buying equipment.