Pune: MSEDCL Accused Of Manipulating Smart Meter Savings Data

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has come under criticism after announcing that 25% of consumers in Pune who installed smart meters collectively saved ₹8.5 crore over seven months.

According to the power utility, the savings translate to roughly ₹1 crore per month. Based on this calculation, if 100% of consumers were to install smart meters, the total monthly savings could reach ₹4 crore.

However, Vivek Velankar, president of Sajag Nagrik Manch, has alleged that the figures are misleading. He pointed out that domestic consumers with smart meters receive a rebate of 80 paise per unit for electricity consumed between 9 am and 5 pm. “In reality, most households remain vacant during these hours as residents are at work. Electricity consumption during this time is already low,” he said, adding that the utility’s own savings data reflects this trend.

Velankar further stated that the Pune circle’s total monthly electricity billing is approximately ₹1,000 crore. Of this, around ₹200 crore is attributed to domestic consumers. Even if smart meters are considered, the actual savings amount to only about 2% of the domestic billing, he claimed.

At the same time, he alleged that between July 2025 and January 2026, the utility imposed an average fuel surcharge of 35 paise per unit per month. Unlike the daytime rebate, this surcharge applies to total daily consumption. As a result, domestic consumers are paying nearly ₹7 crore extra per month, effectively increasing bills by around 4%, he said.

Velankar accused the power distribution company of remaining silent on the impact of the fuel surcharge while highlighting the savings achieved through smart meters. “There was no need to present selective figures to encourage consumers to install smart meters,” he stated.

He also alleged that contractors appointed for the smart meter rollout have been installing meters without seeking proper consent from consumers and, in some cases, resorting to coercive tactics.

The Free Press Journal tried to get a response from MSEDCL, but has not received any reply to these allegations.