Punekars Celebrate Relief As MERC Rejects TOD Billing For Domestic Rooftop Solar Consumers

Punekars have welcomed the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission's (MERC) decision to reject the proposal of implementing Time-of-Day (TOD) billing for rooftop solar consumers. This move has provided significant relief to thousands of households across the city and state, ensuring that the existing billing system for domestic solar users will remain unchanged.

Vivek Velankar, a Pune-based civic activist, expressed his gratitude, saying, "This is a major victory for rooftop solar users, ensuring that they can continue to benefit fully from their solar power generation without additional financial burdens. We sincerely thank the Electricity Regulatory Commission for this decision."

More and more Punekars have shifted to an ecological way of living by adopting solar rooftops to cut power bills. Shilpa and Suneet Kotwal’s bungalow in Aundh, and Sakhu-Nandan bungalow on Bhandarkar Road, were among the early pioneers of the solar movement in the city, which has now been adopted by lakhs of consumers. Both these bungalows stand as a testament to energy self-sufficient homes and manage even high-energy devices like ACs and refrigerators on solar energy.

The decision comes after MSEDCL’s proposal to install smart net meters, which would have billed solar electricity differently based on the time of day. Under the new plan, solar power generated between 9 am and 5 pm could only be adjusted against consumption during the same hours, while any excess would be categorized as off-peak electricity, unable to offset peak-hour usage.

Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana

This system would have discouraged households from participating in the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana, which aims to install solar systems on one crore homes nationwide, helping consumers reduce their electricity bills to zero.

Consumer groups and solar system installers strongly opposed this proposal, advocating for the continuation of the existing billing system even with the introduction of smart net meters.

MERC’s final five-year tariff revision proposal has now ruled that TOD billing will not apply to domestic solar consumers, ensuring that Punekars and other residents can continue to benefit from their rooftop solar investments without facing additional financial burdens.