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

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:

Details of the CGRFs in the Maharashtra State:

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