Single-Point vs Multipoint Connection in Noida Societies
Contents
If you live in a high-rise society in Noida, Greater Noida, Greater Noida West or Ghaziabad, the way electricity reaches your flat shapes your bill, your rights as a consumer and how disputes get resolved. Most older societies were built on a single-point connection, where the builder or the residents’ association buys power in bulk and resells it to flats. Uttar Pradesh’s power regulator has spent several years pushing societies towards multipoint connections, where every flat is a direct customer of the discom.
This guide explains how each system works, what the current UP tariffs mean for a typical bill, how diesel generator (DG) backup is billed, and how a society converts. It is based on the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (UPERC) tariff order for 2026-27 and published reporting on the conversion rules. Rules and rates change, so confirm the details with your discom before acting.
Single-point and multipoint: the basic difference
In a single-point society, the discom installs one bulk meter at the society’s substation and bills the builder or association for everything consumed inside, including flats, lifts, pumps and common lighting. The builder or association then meters each flat with its own sub-meters, often prepaid, and recovers the cost from residents.
In a multipoint society, each flat has its own meter and its own account with the discom. Common areas get a separate connection. The society’s internal wiring stays the same physically, but the billing relationship changes: you pay the discom directly, at the discom’s published domestic tariff.
In UP, the state-owned discom for Noida and Ghaziabad is Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL). Large parts of Greater Noida are served by the private licensee Noida Power Company Ltd (NPCL), whose tariffs are set in a separate UPERC order. Check which licensee serves your society before comparing rates.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Single-point | Multipoint |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the discom’s customer | Builder or association, as a “deemed franchisee” | Each flat owner |
| Grid tariff (PVVNL area, 2026-27) | ₹7.00 per unit plus ₹110 per kW per month on the bulk connection | Domestic slabs from ₹5.50 to ₹6.50 per unit plus ₹110 per kW per month |
| Who sets your flat’s bill | Builder or association, recovering bulk cost | Discom, at published rates |
| Common-area power | Included in the bulk bill | Separate connection, shared among residents |
| DG backup | Separately metered by the society | Society-run, recorded on a dual-source meter |
| Complaints | Society first; discom grievance forums now apply too | Discom directly, then grievance forum and ombudsman |
| Electricity bill as address proof | Usually not in your name | In your name |
What the regulator has decided
The 13th Amendment
The push began with the 13th Amendment to the UP Electricity Supply Code, 2005, issued in August 2018. As reported at the time, it required new multi-storey buildings to receive multipoint connections and set out a framework for converting existing single-point societies, using dual-source, dual-register meters that record grid power and DG power separately. UPERC later took up suo motu proceedings because many societies had not converted, and issued an order in August 2020 setting deadlines.
Under the rules as reported, a society may keep its single-point connection only if at least 51% of residents consent to stay on it. Otherwise conversion is to go ahead. Reports in 2020 put the cost of a dual-source, dual-register meter at ₹15,000 per flat plus GST, with no other connection charge to be levied, and later reports said the builder should bear the cost of the infrastructure changes. These figures date from 2020 and 2021, so ask your discom what applies today.
The 2026-27 tariff order
UPERC’s tariff order for the state discoms, dated 2 July 2026, goes further in three ways that matter to residents:
- Higher single-point tariff on purpose. The Commission rejected requests for a lower bulk tariff and said single-point rates are kept comparatively higher as a deliberate tool to encourage societies to move to multipoint, not because supply costs more.
- Accountability for single-point operators. A builder or association on a single-point connection is treated as a deemed franchisee of the discom. It must share a half-yearly statement showing what it collected from residents and what it paid the discom, have its accounts audited by a chartered accountant, and upload these reports to an online system. Repeated failure to upload, three defaults within two years, means the single-point facility is withdrawn and the discom must convert the society to multipoint.
- Residents treated as discom consumers. The Commission clarified that individual residents under a single-point arrangement are to be treated at par with direct consumers, including access to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum and the Electricity Ombudsman.
The order also bars the franchisee from cutting a resident’s power over unpaid general maintenance charges, other than electricity dues and separately shown electricity charges for common facilities. It directs discoms to stop installing keypad or token prepaid meters for multipoint supply and to migrate existing ones to the approved metering system within 120 days. The Commission says it is preparing a concept paper on wider problems in multi-storey buildings, so further changes are likely.
What it means for your bill
The figures below are the tariff payable for the PVVNL area under the 2026-27 order. Electricity duty, surcharges and taxes are payable on top, and NPCL areas have their own rates.
| Component | Multipoint (other metered domestic) | Single-point bulk |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed charge | ₹110 per kW per month | ₹110 per kW per month |
| Up to 150 units a month | ₹5.50 per unit | ₹7.00 per unit, flat |
| 151 to 300 units | ₹6.00 per unit | ₹7.00 per unit, flat |
| Above 300 units | ₹6.50 per unit | ₹7.00 per unit, flat |
Worked example: a 4 kW flat using 350 units a month
Assume the slabs apply progressively and the flat has a 4 kW contracted load.
- Multipoint: fixed charge 4 × ₹110 = ₹440. Energy: 150 units × ₹5.50 = ₹825, plus 150 × ₹6.00 = ₹900, plus 50 × ₹6.50 = ₹325, giving ₹2,050. Total about ₹2,490 before duty and surcharges.
- Single-point, passed through at cost: energy 350 × ₹7.00 = ₹2,450, plus a fixed-charge share of, say, ₹440. Total about ₹2,890.
That is a gap of roughly ₹400 a month, or about ₹4,800 a year, before any margin, losses or other charges the society adds. Two caveats apply. Under single-point, the bulk bill also covers lifts, pumps and common lighting, which multipoint residents pay separately as common-area power charges. And the fixed charge in a single-point society depends on how the bulk load is shared, which varies. Use your own bills to make the comparison.
How DG backup is billed
Most high-rises run diesel generators for power cuts. The DG remains the society’s or builder’s asset under both systems, and its per-unit rate is set by the society, not by the discom’s tariff schedule. What the rules require is transparency:
- A single-point operator must meter DG supply separately and show on each bill the units and rate for DG power and for discom power.
- Multipoint societies that supply DG backup use dual-source, dual-register meters so grid and DG units are recorded separately.
Pollution rules also limit DG use. The Graded Response Action Plan schedule issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (revised 29 September 2026) says, from Stage I, that DG sets must not be a regular source of power. Diesel-only sets between 19 kW and 800 kW that have not been converted to dual-fuel or retrofitted with emission control devices may run only for listed emergency services, which include lifts, water pumping stations and sewage treatment plants. Ask your society whether its DG sets comply, because non-compliant sets may be restricted during bad-air months.
As an illustration only: if your society charges ₹20 per DG unit and you use 30 DG units in a month, that adds ₹600. Check the actual rate on your bill and in your maintenance agreement.
How conversion works
Published accounts of the process in PVVNL and NPCL areas describe these broad steps:
- Start the request. The association or a group of residents writes to the local electricity division office.
- Awareness and consent. The discom may hold a camp in the society. Residents give or withhold consent; the 51% threshold decides whether single-point can continue.
- Apply individually. Each owner submits a consent form with documents such as the allotment letter, possession letter, registry and ID proof, and pays the one-time charge.
- Metering. The discom installs smart, dual-source meters at the flats and a reference meter for the society. Common-area consumption is worked out as the reference meter reading minus the total of the flat meters.
- Billing switch. Each flat then pays the discom directly, typically through the discom’s app or portal.
Problems reported to UPERC in 2026 hearings include consent surveys that residents say were not genuine, conversions not done despite consent, and builders handing over societies without complete electrical infrastructure. If your conversion stalls, write to the discom’s division office, keep copies, and escalate to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum.
Indicative costs and responsibilities
| Item | What has been reported | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dual-source, dual-register meter | ₹15,000 per flat plus GST (2020 report) | Confirm current charge with discom |
| Internal infrastructure changes | Borne by the builder (2021 report) | Disputed in some societies; check handover documents |
| Security deposit and connection charge | Per discom schedule | Ask the division office |
| Upkeep of internal network after conversion | Typically the society or association | Raised as an open issue in 2026 hearings |
Is conversion right for your society?
Points in favour: the domestic tariff is lower than the bulk rate, you deal with the discom directly, bills are in your name and serve as address proof, and complaints go straight to statutory forums. Distribution losses inside the society are no longer loaded onto residents.
Points to weigh: the society must still run and maintain its internal network and DG sets, common-area power becomes a separate charge, and someone has to manage the transition. Older societies with poor wiring may need repairs before a discom will take over billing.
For buyers, the connection type is worth checking before purchase. If you are comparing societies in Noida, Greater Noida West or Ghaziabad, ask the seller or association for recent electricity bills, the DG rate, and whether conversion is planned or under way.
Checklist before you buy or vote
- Is the society single-point or multipoint, and which discom serves it?
- For single-point, has the operator shared the half-yearly collection statement and audited accounts the 2026-27 order requires?
- What is the DG rate per unit, and does the bill show DG and grid units separately?
- Do the society’s DG sets comply with the GRAP dual-fuel or emission control rules?
- If conversion is proposed, who pays for meters and any infrastructure work, and in writing?
- What is the flat’s contracted load, and is it enough for an air conditioner upgrade or an EV charger?
Frequently asked questions
What is a multipoint electricity connection?
It is an arrangement where each flat in a society has its own meter and account with the discom and pays the discom's domestic tariff directly. Common areas are supplied through a separate connection.
Is single-point electricity costlier in UP?
Under UPERC's 2026-27 tariff order for the state discoms, single-point bulk supply is charged ₹7.00 per unit plus ₹110 per kW per month, while domestic multipoint slabs run from ₹5.50 to ₹6.50 per unit. The Commission said the higher bulk rate is meant to encourage conversion.
How many residents must agree for conversion to multipoint?
As reported on the UPERC rules, a society can keep a single-point connection only if at least 51% of residents consent to it. Otherwise conversion is to proceed.
Can my society cut my power for unpaid maintenance?
The 2026-27 tariff order says a single-point operator cannot disconnect a resident for unpaid general maintenance charges, only for electricity dues and separately shown electricity charges for common facilities.
Who decides the DG backup rate?
The DG rate is set by the society or builder that runs the generators, not by the discom tariff. Single-point operators must show DG units and rates separately on bills.
Where can I complain about single-point billing?
Start with the society, then the discom's division office. UPERC has clarified that residents under single-point supply can use the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum and the Electricity Ombudsman like direct consumers.
Sources
- UPERC: Tariff Order for State Discoms FY 2026-27 (2 July 2026), PVVNL copy
- UPPCL: Public notice of approved tariff for FY 2026-27
- UPPCL: Electricity Supply Code and amendments (including 13th Amendment)
- PVVNL: Tariff orders
- CAQM: Graded Response Action Plan schedule (revised 29.09.2026)
- Realty n More: Multipoint connections set to prove a boon (Dec 2020)
- Realty n More: Multi-point connection essential to get rid of inflated bills (Sep 2020)
- Realty n More: Multipoint connection conversion process (Jul 2021)
- Realty n More: Understanding gains of multipoint connection (Aug 2021)
- Realty n More: Multipoint connection, a definite boon (Mar 2024)
Updated 20 October 2026. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice; check current rules and project details before you decide.
