Mandatory use of smart prepaid electricity metres has been challenged in the High Court through a Public Interest Litigation. Also, an order has been sought to give consumers the right to choose between prepaid and postpaid electricity metres.
The implementation of the scheme to install smart prepaid electricity metres will greatly inconvenience the poor class citizens living in slums, chawls and rural areas of Mumbai. Former Mumbai mayor Nirmala Prabhavalkar has also claimed that they will have to face trouble through the above public interest petition.
Also, Central Government's notification dated 26 February 2021 mandating prepaid electricity metres should be cancelled. Similarly, it has been demanded that the government should be ordered to give consumers the right to choose whether they want a prepaid or postpaid electricity metre. This notification is issued under the Electricity Act and Consumer Rights Rules, 2023 and is applicable to all States and Union Territories.
According to the petition, the scheme is being implemented arbitrarily without any information and notification to the public. Choice of prepaid or postpaid electricity metre is allowed under relevant laws. The petition also claimed that consumers are being forced to use prepaid electricity metres and their right to choose is being taken away.
Postpaid electricity metre policies give consumers time to make financial decisions. By doing so, uninterrupted power supply is also guaranteed. However, in the prepaid electricity metre scheme, electricity supply will not start without payment of electricity bill. As a result, citizens will be inconvenienced, the petitioners have pointed out in the petition.
Due to the fear of online fraud, the citizens, especially the senior citizens, are still not fully aware of the technology. The petitioners have said that the claim of reduction in payments through this scheme is also bogus.
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