Mumbai: A citizens' campaign held on Sunday morning to raise awareness about smart electricity meters received around 100 written complaints from consumers alleging irregularities in the installation process.
The campaign was conducted at nine locations across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including Matunga East, Byculla, Parel Village, Vile Parle, Santacruz East, Dharavi, Vashi, Thane and Virar West.
The organisers said the initiative aimed to educate residents about smart meters and collect complaints from consumers who had either received notices from their electricity providers or claimed that their conventional electricity meters had been replaced with smart meters without their consent.
The campaign was led by social activist Kamlakar Shenoy, along with Chetan Trivedi, G R Vora and Prashant Gajjar. The organisers said they had received about 100 written complaints during the drive and would take up the matter with the concerned authorities. They added that the complaints would also be submitted to the police and, if necessary, pursued in the courts.
The campaign comes amid growing concerns expressed by some consumers over the rollout of smart electricity meters in parts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. However, electricity distribution companies have maintained that smart metering is part of a broader initiative aimed at improving billing accuracy, operational efficiency and consumer services.
The allegations made by the campaign organisers have not been independently verified. Electricity distribution companies have consistently maintained that smart meters are part of a government-backed modernisation programme aimed at improving billing accuracy and service efficiency. They have denied claims that the meters themselves lead to inflated electricity bills and have stated that installations are carried out in accordance with applicable regulations.
Trivedi said more complaints had also been received online. "Most people said they had not given their consent for replacing their conventional electricity meters with smart meters. Others said their housing society committee members had given consent to replace the meters without obtaining authorisation from the residents," he said.
Trivedi alleged that consumers whose average monthly electricity bills were around ₹2,500 had received bills of up to ₹12,000. "One woman received a bill of ₹1 lakh. The families live in one-, two- or three-room homes, and it is impossible for them to consume so much electricity even if they own most household electrical appliances. The electricity company advises them to pay the bill before addressing their complaints. Most people pay because they fear disconnection of their electricity supply," he alleged.
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