No Prepaid Meters for Domestic Consumers; Smart Meters Reduce Power Bills: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Nagpur, December 2025 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Legislative Assembly that prepaid meters will not be installed for ordinary domestic consumers and that the introduction of smart meters has resulted in benefits, including reduced electricity bills.

Replying to questions raised by MLAs Bhaskar Jadhav and Rais Shaikh during Question Hour, the Chief Minister said the decision to install smart meters in the state has been taken under a central government scheme.

CM Fadnavis explained that initially there was a proposal to install prepaid smart meters for all consumers. However, after widespread objections were raised, the state government decided to implement the scheme in a phased manner. In the first phase, feeder meters and distribution meters were installed. At present, prepaid smart meters have been installed only in government offices and establishments. For general consumers, only postpaid smart meters are being installed.

He said that consumers who have accepted smart meters are being given a 10 per cent discount on their electricity bills, and as a result, citizens have already started receiving tangible benefits from the new system. Smart meters allow consumers to track their hourly electricity consumption through a mobile application, making it easier to monitor and verify usage.

The Chief Minister added that a 24-hour grievance redressal system is in place for smart meter-related issues. So far, less than one per cent of smart meters installed by five different companies have reported any defects.

He further clarified that smart meters will continue to remain in the postpaid format for the next five years and that no decision has been taken to make prepaid meters mandatory. CM Fadnavis also assured the House that the suggestions put forward by the legislators would be carefully considered.