Dombivli Residents Protest Huge Electricity Bill Spikes After Smart Meter Rollout
Residents of Runwal Gardens in Dombivli and other areas across Kalyan-Dombivli staged protests between February and June 2024 over a three-to-five-fold surge in their monthly electricity bills following the installation of new smart meters. The affected consumers are demanding an independent technical audit of the new devices or the immediate reinstallation of their old conventional meters.
The sudden bill spikes have caused severe financial strain for local households, with average monthly bills in Runwal Gardens rising from Rs 2,000–2,500 to between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000.
Among those affected, resident Ahmed Salman Imtiaz saw his bill jump from Rs 3,000 in February to Rs 14,000 in April. Despite consciously reducing his air conditioning usage afterwards, his June bill reached Rs 17,000. Another resident, Rajesh Warekar, reported that his bill, which usually hovered around Rs 800, shot up to Rs 9,910. Sanjeev Tripathi, who typically paid Rs 2,000 during past summers, received a June bill of Rs 9,860 and demanded that the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) reinstall the older meters.
The billing surge has triggered more than 11,000 official complaints and intense public opposition. Political parties, including the ruling Shiv Sena in Kalyan-Dombivli, have held demonstrations demanding that the smart meter rollout be suspended until consumer concerns are resolved.
In response to the growing outcry, MSEDCL officials defended the smart meters, attributing the high bills to increased summer power consumption and the superior accuracy of the new digital meters. MSEDCL stated that many older electromechanical meters had slowed down over time, under-recording actual electricity usage.
During a recent assembly session, Minister of State for Energy Meghna Sakore-Bordikar also stated that it was incorrect to blame smart meters for the higher bills. However, local residents continue to protest, maintaining that the sudden financial burden warrants a thorough, independent investigation.
