From April, ‘solar hours’ rebate for residential power consumers in state

MERC, a quasi-judicial body, recently notified a roster of tariffs and discounts based on time of day (ToD) slabs instead of ‘normal hours’ and ‘off-peak hours’ slabs

Mumbai: From April 1, electricity consumers across Maharashtra will be entitled to a rebate of 50 paise per unit of electricity consumed during ‘solar hours’, from 9am to 5pm. The rebate, notified by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for a period of five years, can be availed only by those who have smart metres installed in their homes, said sources. Residential consumers in Mumbai, who are mostly out working during solar hours, will benefit little from the discount, said power experts.

From April, ‘solar hours’ rebate for residential power consumers in state

MERC, a quasi-judicial body, recently notified a roster of tariffs and discounts based on time of day (ToD) slabs instead of ‘normal hours’ and ‘off-peak hours’ slabs, as per provisions in the Electricity (Right of Consumers) (First Amendment) Rules, 2023, said sources.

“Under the new tariffs, residential consumers will get a rebate during solar hours when solar power is supplied in the grid,” said an official. No discount would be available during ‘peak hours’ (from 5pm till midnight) and late at night, the official clarified. “ToD tariff will be applicable from the next billing cycle, only for those who have smart meters installed,” the official said.

While Adani Electricity is replacing old electricity meters in the island city, only 300,000 out of 1 million consumers have smart metres installed in their premises while the proportion of consumers in the suburbs with smart metres is unknown. The uptake of smart metres beyond the city and suburbs is lesser; it was only in late 2023 that the Adani group was awarded the contract to install smart metres in two zones – Bhandup, Kalyan and Konkan, which has 63.44 lakh consumers, and Baramati and Pune, which has 52.45 lakh consumers.

“The solar hours rebate will not be beneficial for Mumbaikars because a majority of people are out working then and consumption in residential areas is anyway minimal, said a power expert. “It’s not as if people will start working from home to enjoy the rebate.”

Tata Power, which supplies electricity to Mumbai’s suburbs, hailed the “pioneering move”, saying it would entitle consumers to “additional rebate” and “optimise their electricity bills.”

5-year rebate

Solar hour discount for residential consumers of BEST, Tata Power, Adani Electricity

2025-26: 50 paise per unit

2026-27: 55 paise per unit

2027-28: 60 paise per unit

2028-29: 65 paise per unit

2029-30: 70 paise per unit