Abstract: In the process of electric power system reform in China, the coexistence of planning and market may not change in the short term. With electricity market expanding, the decoupling operation mode of planning and market is unsustainable. While the issue of unbalanced funds is more prominent when planning and market are coupled. A study is made on the unbalanced funds against the background of coupling pattern. The paper splits the calculation formula of unbalanced funds into various parts whose sources are relatively clear, and hereby proposes allocation schemes. Meanwhile, suggestions are provided on managing market congestion surplus according to the theoretical amount and the proportion of market power consumption to the total. Case studies have verified the adaptability of the proposed method to the coupling pattern.