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Overview

Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) was established by State Government under Section 17 of the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, 1998 (ERC Act,1998) (14 of 1998). The ERC Act, 1998 was replaced by the Electricity Act, 2003 ( 36 of 2003) . As per the first proviso of Section 81 of the Electricity Act,2003, State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) established under Secti...

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What's New

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  • Public Notice for Extension of date for filing of comments

  • Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (Transaction of Business and Fees and Charges) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2024

  • Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (Grid Interactive Rooftop Renewable Energy Generating Systems) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2024

  • Draft MERC (Demand Flexibility and Demand Side Management – Implementation Framework, Cost-effectiveness Assessment; and Evaluation, Measurement and Verification) Regulations, 2024

Consumer Advocacy

The Commission through Supply Code and Standard of Performance Regulations, 2021 has stipulated timelines for performing various consumer-related activities by distribution licensees and compensation to be paid to the consumer for the delay in performing such activities. SoP for some of the activities are as below:

Sr. No. Activity/Event Standard Timelines Compensation Payble
Provision of Supply
1 Connection from existing Network Metro Area – 7 days

Urban Area – 15 days

Rural Area – 30 days

Rs 50 per week or part thereof – maximum of twice the SCC for that Category.
2 if extension or augmentation of distributing main is required Three (3) months
3 If commissioning of new sub-station forming a part of the distribution system is required One (1) year
Restoration of Supply
1 Fuse off call Urban Area – 3 Hrs Rs 50 per hour -  maximum of Rs 500 for LT Consumer

Rs 100 per hour  -maximum of Rs 1000 for HT Consumer.

Rural Area – 18 Hrs
2 Overhead Line Urban Area – 4 Hrs
Rural Area – 24 Hrs
3 Under Ground / Bus Riser Urban Area – 8 Hrs
Rural Area – 48 Hrs
4 Distribution transformer and associated Switchgear failure Urban Area – 18 Hrs
Rural Area – 48 Hrs
5 Burnt Meter Urban Area – 18 Hrs
Rural Area – 48 Hrs
Meters
1 Meter inspection Urban Area – 4 Hrs Rs. 50 per week - maximum of Rs 250.
Rural Area – 12 Hrs
2 Replacement of meter if found faulty Within subsequent billing cycle
Reconnection
1 Reconnection of a Consumer - Disconnected for less than six (6) months Urban Area – 4 Hrs Rs 50 per hour – maximum of Rs 250.
Rural Area – 12 Hrs

For more details kindly refer Annexure ‘II’ of MERC (Electricity Supply Code and Standards of Performance of Distribution Licensees including Power Quality) Regulations, 2021.

In line with the Electricity Act, 2003 and as per Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum and Electricity Ombudsman) Regulations, 2020, the following are the step by step legal remedies available to the electricity consumers to redress their grievances:-

Web-based portal of Distribution Licensee:

Consumers can register their complaints electronically/digitally through SMS, online registration, web-chat facility and mobile application (in person or through toll free telephone numbers) on web based portal of distribution licensee, which shall be integrated with the complaint handling system through the Consumer Call Centres

Name of Distribution Licensee Web - Portal for Complaint
Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. MSEDCL Web Portal
Tata Power Company Ltd TPC Web Portal
Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited AEML Web Portal
BEST Undertaking BEST Web Portal
Mindspace Business Parks Private Limited MBPPL Web Portal
Gigaplex Estate Private Limited GEPL Web Portal
Nidar Utilities Panvel LLP (NUP LLP) NUP Web Portal
Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation-SEZ Nagpur MADC Web Portal
Laxmipati Balaji Supply Chain Management Ltd. -SEZ Panvel LBSCML Web Portal
KRC Infrastructure & Project PVT Ltd - Pune KRCIPPVT Web Portal
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust - SEZ Raigadh JNPT Web Portal
EON Kharadi Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.-SEZ EONKIP Web Portal

Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (Forum)

The Complainant may approach the Forum, if the complaint is closed on the abovesaid web based portal without the consent or satisfaction of the Complainant or after expiry of 3 days (for complaints related to non-supply, connection, re-connection or disconnection of supply) or 15 days (for all other complaints) from the date of registration of complaint, whichever is earlier.

However, the Consumer may also directly approach the Forum, even if no complaint has been registered on the web portal.

As per the notified CGRF & EO Regulations, 2020, there are total 18 CGRFs in the State of Maharashtra.

Electricity Ombudsman

Any Complainant, who is aggrieved by the non-redressal of his Grievance by the abovesaid Forum, may, either directly or through his duly authorised representative, make a representation for redressal of his Grievance to the Electricity Ombudsman within sixty (60) days from the date of the Order of the Forum.

There are two Electricity Ombudsman in Maharashtra State as follows:

Electricity Ombudsman (Mumbai) for Mumbai, Mumbai Suburbs, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangali, Satara, Pune, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar and Nandurbar Districts, and

Electricity Ombudsman (Nagpur) for Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Yeotmal, Washim, Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Chandarapur, Gondia, Latur, Beed, Nanded, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani and Hingoli district.

Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission

For non-compliance of the Forum’s Order and/or Electricity Ombudsman’s orders by distribution licensee, the consumer can approach the Commission under Section 142 and 146 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

Details of the Electricity Ombudsmans in the Maharashtra State:

Name of Electricity Ombudsman Details Web - Portal for online Representation
Mumbai Details of the EO Mumbai Office EO Mumbai Portal
Nagpur Details of the EO Nagpur Office EO NGP Portal

Details of the CGRFs in the Maharashtra State:

Name of Distribution Licensee Details
Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. Details of the CGRFs
Tata Power Company Ltd Details of the CGRF
Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited Details of the CGRF
BEST Undertaking Details of the CGRF
Mindspace Business Parks Private Limited  Details of the CGRF
Gigaplex Estate Private Limited   Details of the CGRF
Nidar Utilities Panvel LLP   Details of the CGRF
KRC Infrastructure & Project PVT Ltd - Pune  Details of the CGRF
Laxmipati Balaji Supply Chain Management Ltd. -SEZ Panvel Details of the CGRF
Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation-SEZ Nagpur Details of the CGRF
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust - SEZ Raigadh Details of the CGRF
EON Kharadi Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.-SEZ Details of the CGRF

 

The Section 59 of the Electricity Act, 2003 mandates every licensee to furnish the information to the Commission regarding level of performance achieved, number of cases in which compensation was made and aggregate amount of the Compensation and the Commission shall arrange the said information for publication.

The Commission through MERC (Electricity Supply Code and Standards of Performance of Distribution Licensees including Power Quality), Regulations, 2021 has set certain minimum standard of service that a Distribution Licensee shall achieve and maintain regarding power supply, Power Quality, metering, Complaints handling, reliability indices, etc.

According to Regulation 27 of the said Regulations, the Distribution Licensees shall submit information (SoP Data) stipulated under Section 59 to the Commission on Quarterly basis and put up such information on the internet website of the Distribution Licensee, within 30 days from the end of the quarter.

To view Licensee wise SoP dataClick Here