Smart meter blues? Saoner farmer left reeling by Rs2.39L electricity bill
Ltd (
MSEDCL
). One farmer received a bill of Rs2.39 lakh, while another was billed Rs1.34 lakh, triggering outrage among villagers.
Following the inflated bills, a group of locals gathered outside the MSEDCL office in Kelwad on Thursday, demanding clarification and immediate corrective action.
MSEDCL later clarified that most consumers were billed based on their average summer electricity consumption. However, it admitted that two cases appeared to have inflated amounts.
"Bills were generated using both the old meter reading and the initial reading from the new smart meters. In very few cases this overlap resulted in inflated bills. Only two consumers were found to have received abnormal bills, which were rectified. Both cases will be verified," an MSEDCL official said.
TOI is in possession of both of the bills. The first, issued in the name of Venkati Gohatre, was Rs2.39 lakh. The second, issued to Shankar Bhangde, amounted to Rs1.34 lakh.
Shankar's grandson, Golu Bhangde, told TOI they were shocked to see the inflated bill. "The inflated bill came right after the smart meter was installed. Last month, our bill was around Rs2,500. We approached MSEDCL officials, and they revised it to Rs1,150," he said.
MSEDCL officials said that claims of smart meters resulting in inflated bills are inaccurate. "Nearly 4,000 smart meters have been installed so far in Saoner taluka.
In cases where the replacement reading data wasn't uploaded into the system, consumers received bills based on average usage. Those who received inflated bills need not worry, revised bills will be issued after meter inspection. Consumers facing such issues can contact their local MSEDCL subdivision office," stated a press release issued by MSEDCL.
The incident has added fuel to growing resistance against smart meter installations, a move that has faced stiff opposition from citizens and political parties. A key concern during the rollout was that smart meters would lead to inflated bills, a claim MSEDCL has consistently denied.
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