The petitioners challenged the tender process and said consumers faced extreme hardship because of the cost of the meters, pointing out that other states charge around ₹900, while state was charging 10 times that.
Published Aug 13, 2025 | 8:23 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 13, 2025 | 8:23 PM
Existing consumers can opt for smart meters only if they wish to.
Synopsis: The Karnataka High Court on 13 August, dismissed two petitions challenging the State government’s decision to make installation of smart meters mandatory for new and temporary electricity connections.
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday, August 13, dismissed two petitions challenging the state government’s decision to make installation of smart meters mandatory for new consumers.
A single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna, which had earlier reserved orders on whether to admit the petitions challenging the mandatory installation of smart meters for new and temporary connections, dismissed them.
The bench noted that a public interest litigation (PIL) on smart meters is already pending before a division bench of the High Court and that it raises the same points as the writ petitions. The petitions were dismissed on this ground.
During earlier hearings, the court had orally told the state: “All over (other states) it is at ₹900 for the very same smart meter and you are charging ₹8,900, where will poor people go, sir? You have outsourced the things, this is dangerous. You are quenching from all the poor people,” LiveLaw reported.
The court had then passed an interim order directing the state not to make smart meters mandatory for power supply or electricity connection, in contrast to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (Pre-paid Smart Metering) Regulations, 2024.
The petitioner, Jayalakshmi, had approached the court questioning a communication issued to her on April 2, 2025, directing her to purchase a smart energy meter.
Senior Advocate Lakshmy Iyengar, appearing for one of the petitioners, argued that all consumers would eventually have to shift to smart meters.
The petitioners challenged the tender process and said consumers faced extreme hardship because of the cost of the meters, pointing out that other states charge around Rs 900.
Existing consumers can opt for smart meters only if they wish to, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty had earlier stated. Considering all these factors, the single-judge bench dismissed the writ petitions.
