Thiruvananthapuram: Thousands of solar power consumers in Kerala may soon receive relief as the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to refund excess security deposits collected from eligible consumers.

Under the revised system, the security deposit payable by solar consumers will be limited to twice the average monthly electricity bill amount of the previous year. Consumers who have paid more than this prescribed amount will receive a refund or a bill adjustment, according to the latest KSEB order.

The excess amount will first be adjusted against the consumer's next two electricity bills. If any balance remains after these adjustments, KSEB will transfer the remaining amount directly to the consumer's bank account.

Consumers with pending payments or those who are unsure about their security deposit status can contact their respective KSEB section offices to obtain details of the amount payable or refundable.

The decision follows directions from the electricity regulatory authorities, which pointed out that calculating security deposits for solar consumers based solely on electricity consumption was not in line with existing regulations. Instead, the deposit should be determined on the basis of the total electricity bill amount.

Accordingly, KSEB has revised its method of calculating security deposits and issued fresh instructions to implement the change across its consumer network.

The power utility has also decided to modify its billing software so that future security deposit calculations are automatically based on the total electricity bill amount, ensuring compliance with regulatory norms and preventing excess collection from consumers.