How common area electricity billing works in PGs and co-living

Encharge & PG billing · 6 min read · Updated 2026-04-05
TL;DR

Common-area electricity is split either equally per tenant, per head-count, or per room sq-ft. IoT prepaid meters like Encharge auto-split based on your rule, add it transparently to tenant invoices, and stop the arguments.

Three fair ways to split PG common area electricity

  • —Equal split — total common units ÷ total occupied rooms. Simplest, most common.
  • —Per-head split — good for PGs where rooms have 1 vs 2 vs 3 tenants.
  • —Per-area / per-floor split — fairer when amenity loads (gym, lift) differ floor by floor.

What counts as common area in a PG?

  • —Corridor lighting and bathroom lighting
  • —Lifts and escalators
  • —Water motors, pressure pumps, RO units
  • —Gym, lounge, rooftop amenities
  • —Security cameras and Wi-Fi routers
  • —DG / inverter idle load (running even when not supplying)

Frequently asked questions

Can common area electricity be charged separately from rent?

Yes. Many PGs itemise common-area electricity on the monthly invoice so tenants see what they're paying for. Encharge does this automatically.

How do I know my common-area bill is fair?

The only way is to meter the common-area feeder separately. Encharge provides a dedicated common-area meter that tenants can view (read-only) so the split is auditable.

What if a room is vacant?

A vacant room does not pay common-area — the bill is split only among occupied rooms. Encharge handles this automatically when you mark a room vacant in the dashboard.

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