Residential consumers in Kolhapur, Sambhajinagar get concessions around Rs13.5cr for power usage during day time | Kolhapur News
Kolhapur/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Residential consumers from Kolhapur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions have collectively received concessions to the tune of Rs13.5 crore for using power during day time between July 2025 and May 2026.As per data accessed from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), in Kolhapur division the concession amount for Kolhapur division was Rs9.5 crore, while for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar it stood at Rs4 crore. Smart meters, also known as Time of Day (ToD) meters, are mandatory to avail the benefit.The power consumed during the TOD — between 9am and 5pm — is calculated only by smart meters. Kolhapur division has one of the highest coverage of smart meters which is around 66%. Out of 18 lakh connections, around 12 lakh connections in the division, comprising Kolhapur and Sangli districts, have smart meters installed.A concession of about 0.85 paise per unit power consumed during the TOD is given to the residential consumers by the MSEDCL. The TOD is off-peak or solar hours during which consumption is less. The smart meters record usage by the time slot and accordingly the power consumption is billed.This is to encourage residential consumers to shift operating of heavy appliances such as washing machines and water heaters during the time of the day. This Mahavitaran reduce the pressure on grid during peak demand thereby balancing the power supply and ultimately ensuring stable power supply.“The TOD concession started on July 1 last year. It is the same irrespective of power consumption and only for those with smart meters installed as old meters don’t have usage recording facility. The consumers can check their usage through a mobile application (Mahavidyut) and their usage pattern can be altered to suit their needs. Since the smart meters are installed, the complaints such as faulty reading have almost gone,” said Swapnil Katkar, chief engineer Mahavitaran Kolhapur division.“The state power utility is offering a substantial concession to residential consumers with ToD meters, for electricity used during daytime. Between July 2025 and March this year, a concession of 80 paise per unit was provided. This year, the concession stands at 85 paise per unit and is set to increase over the next three financial years,” public relations officer of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Zone of MSEDCL Dnyaneshwar Ardad said.Following the industrial sector, ToD-based billing, which offers lower rates, was introduced for residential consumers for the first time by MSEDCL.In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 2,72,569 residential consumers received ToD concessions, amounting to Rs 3,81,17,128 across electricity bills. Concessions were granted as follows: over Rs 1.54 crore to over 71,000 consumers in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar urban circle, over Rs 1.53 crore to nearly 1,40,000 consumers in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar rural circle, and over Rs 73 lakh to over 61,000 consumers in the Jalna circle, according to official data.
