Pune: Advance Payment Mandatory As PMC Shifts Over 4,200 Electricity Meters To Prepaid System

Pune: More than 4,200 electricity meters operated by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will now operate on a prepaid system, requiring advance payments to ensure uninterrupted power supply across civic facilities.

The move follows a state government directive to convert all low-tension (LT) electricity connections into prepaid meters. Civic officials said PMC will now have to recharge these meters in advance every month. Failure to do so on time could lead to disruption in the electricity supply at important public facilities.

According to the PMC’s electricity department, around 4,212 civic meters connected through low-tension lines are being shifted to the prepaid model. These meters are installed at several municipal facilities, including schools, hospitals, clinics, parks, fire stations, public toilets, health centres and street lights. The monthly electricity expense for these meters is estimated at nearly Rs 3.5 crore.

Officials clarified that major facilities such as sewage treatment plants, water purification plants and crematoriums receive electricity through high-tension lines and will not be part of this prepaid conversion. The new system mainly applies to regular low-tension power connections supplied by Mahavitaran.

Until now, PMC used to clear electricity bills after receiving them from the power distribution company. Under the new system, payments will have to be made beforehand to keep the supply active.

With the city expanding rapidly and civic services spread across 15 regional offices, officials said the administration will need to closely monitor the recharge process to avoid interruptions in public services.

Manisha Shekatkar, head of PMC’s electricity department, said all low-tension electricity meters under the civic body are being converted into prepaid meters as per state government orders. She added that the municipal corporation has planned to ensure timely payments to maintain an uninterrupted electricity supply.