Vasai | September 7, 2026
Smart meters have triggered a dispute in Vasai-Virar, with Mahavitaran claiming that around five lakh consumers saved Rs 11.37 crore over the past one and a half years, while residents and political parties have alleged that the new meters are leading to excessive electricity bills. Opposition groups have announced a highway-blocking protest in the city on Monday, September 7.
According to information cited by Mahavitaran, consumers in the Vasai and Virar divisions benefited from technology-linked concessions and changes in electricity-use patterns. The utility said two lakh consumers in the Vasai division received benefits worth Rs 2.41 crore during the current financial year. In the Virar division, 2.88 lakh consumers received benefits of approximately Rs 4 crore, it said.
Mahavitaran attributed the claimed savings to several features associated with smart meters. These include access to hourly electricity-consumption information through an app, a concession of 85 paise per unit for electricity used between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., discounts linked to digital payments and benefits under its “Go Green” initiative.
The utility has also sought to counter concerns about the payment system and electricity tariffs. Chandramani Mishra, chief engineer of the Kalyan circle, said smart meters are postpaid meters and appealed to consumers not to believe what Mahavitaran described as misconceptions about the technology or rumours of electricity tariff increases.
The utility’s explanation has not ended the dispute. Residents in Vasai-Virar have reported receiving unusually high electricity bills after the installation of smart meters, according to the report. The billing complaints have brought political parties together in opposition to the meters, with groups warning that they will hold a highway-blocking agitation on September 7.
The controversy has therefore centred on two competing accounts. Mahavitaran has highlighted the meters’ ability to provide more detailed consumption information and enable specific concessions, while residents and opposition groups have raised concerns about the accuracy and size of bills being issued. The available report does not establish whether the disputed bills resulted from meter readings, consumption changes, billing procedures or other factors.
The announced protest is the next public development in the dispute. Mahavitaran’s stated position is that the meters remain postpaid and that consumers should rely on official information regarding billing and tariffs. The protest warning is expected to bring the competing claims over smart-meter billing into sharper public focus in Vasai-Virar.
