[linuxworld]

All right, I have gone through the process of getting a dedicated EV meter in Maharashtra. I thought I would document it here so EV owners from Maharashtra would benefit.

Please Note that

1. This process applies to urban and rural areas in Maharashtra that fall under MSEDCL
2. In Mumbai, multiple electricity providers exist, such as Adani, Reliance, Tata, and BEST. Hence, these steps will not apply to Mumbai users who are not using MSEDCL power.
3. This process requests a new single-phase 7.5 KW EV connection. This process is not applicable for increasing load sanction.
4. These steps are relevant as of September 2024. MSEDCL may change/update/remove any of the involved processes in the future.

Why do you need a separate 7.5 KW meter?
GTO mentioned in comprehensive thread (Why a cheap & simple 15A plug is just fine for home-charging your Electric Car). However, there are certain cases where you might need a dedicated 7.5 KW meter.

Below are the reasons why I decided to get a dedicated EV meter.

1. My current residential usage is above 100 units, and EV will likely have 200 units per month. In Maharashtra, rates keep increasing significantly as your electricity usage grows. With such usage, borrowing electricity from existing residential electricity meter defeats the purpose of saving money with EVs.
2. BYD Atto3 does not comes with portable charger but 7.2KW charger is free of cost. I felt I should use it since BYD was forcing this charger on me.
3. With 60kWh battery, charging on dedicated EV connection with 7.2KW charger will definitely save time. I think it should fully charge the vehicle in 8-9 hours.
4. I had sufficient space to install a 7.2KW charger in my parking.
5. As other people in my society are already using 15A for EV charging, I had no resistance from RWA to installing the charger.

Current charges (1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025) for EV meters are Rs. 7.75 per unit in Maharashtra. Unlike residential slabs, there are no slabs with an EV connection. So the rate will be the same if you use 100 or 1000 units.




The process to request an EV meter is as follows:

1. Make an online application from MSEDCL Portal
2. Upload required documents and scan copies to the portal
3. Visit the MSEB office with documents
4. Make online processing fees payment
5. Meter installation

A. Online application process

1. Visit MSEDCL portal. Link here
   
2. Select the "New Connection Request" option
   
   
   
3. In the new page, select Electric "Vehicle Charging Station(EVCS)"
   
   
   
   
4. Select the below options carefully.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I am mentioning essential options here. The rest of the options are self-explanatory.
   Consumer Category - 1-LT-SUPPLY
   Supply Type - SINGLE-SINGLE PHASE
   Requested Load -7.5 KW
   Nearest Consumer No - It should be your existing residential MSEB connection number.
   Name of Highway and milestone (if any) - NA
   Ownership Details - Private Charging Station
   Operation Timings(in hours/Day, except Holidays) - 1 (Mins) 23 (hours)
   Mode of payment for charging - Debit / Credit Card
   Whether facility of advance booking available - No
   Manned/ unmanned - Manual + Automatic
   Charger Type - Type-2 AC
   No. of Chargers - 1
   Charging vehicle type (Wheeler) - 2-Wheeler 4-Wheeler
   Is Multiparty/Triparty Secondary Consumers - No
   Please select option for payment - Provisional Estimate alongwith Processing Fees
   

B. Upload Required Documents

Once you submit the details, it will generate the application number and will show you the submitted details. It will also have the option to upload the documents.

You need to upload the below documents scan copies.

1. Identity proof - Pan Card/Aadhar Card/Passport
2. Ownership/Address Proof - Local Authority Tax Bill/Electricity Bill/Index 2
3. Undertaking Ele Vehicle charging use - Here is the link to the draft or here is the attachment
   [ATTACH=Format-2.pdf]2661684[/ATTACH]
4. Test Report for connection (Optional) - Need to submit in person. This is also called as A1 form that your MSEB electrician signs. More on it later.
   

Once you upload the documents, you will see the applicable charges for the connection. DO NOT make the payment at this stage.

Note about charging use undertaking.
Though the portal says undertaking needs to be on Rs.200 stamp paper, you can use Rs.100 stamp paper and there is no issue with it. There is no Rs.200 stamp paper available.

Once you print the undertaking draft on stamp paper, you must notarize it and sign it. Then, you should upload the scanned copy to the portal. During the print, you can print half of the draft on stamp paper and the remaining half on green legal paper.

In the undertaking draft, fill below details.
You name
commissioned at - Your society name, taluka
having 1 number of chargers
specification of charger 7.5KW
Your name and signature at the end


Please note that you can submit the form and upload documents later on. Use this link to resume your application and upload documents when they are ready.

Also note that once you submit the application, you need to upload documents and make payment within 15 days. Otherwise your application will be cancelled.

C. Visit the MSEB office with documents.

Once you upload scanned copies to the portal, you must visit your MSEB office with all the original documents and application confirmation printout.

The MSEB officer will verify all the documents, and if everything looks good, then ask you to get the MSEB electrician's test report which is also called as A1 form. A1 form contains customer details and require load details. You will get an A1 form in the MSEB office. You need to print it and fill in the required details. Then, you need to contact the MSEB electrician for a signature. MSEB electrician might come to your place for a survey and, after the survey, will remark, "Meter can be installed on this place and there is a sufficient load to provide." In my case, he signed the form directly as he was aware of our society.

Once the A1 form is signed, you must visit the MSEB office with all the documents again. The senior officer will again verify everything and may ask you questions such as
1) Do you have a place to install a charger?
2) Have you taken permission from your society committee?

In my case, I told them we already have many private EV chargers installed, and the committee should have no objection to my connection since it's my private parking space.

Once everything is verified, the officer will sign it and stamp it for the next processing.

D. Payment fees

After signature and stamping, you will receive an SMS stating payment of meter installation charges with an online payment link. Once you make the payment, the meter will be approved within a week. Final application should look like below with payment structure.



E. Meter Installation

Once you get the SMS that the meter is installed, you can contact the MSEB electrician again for meter installation.
You should receive SMS like below. This message means meter is installed in their system but not at customer site.



The electrician will pick up the meter from the MSEB office and install it in your meter room. He will contact you before coming for the installation.

The electrician will use the existing meter input and borrow a connection for the EV meter. In my case, I insisted on using my residential meter input. See the picture below, which shows my EV meter adjacent to my residential meter. R represents my residential meter.



Please note that MSEB is responsible for installing an EV meter in the meter room where rest of the meters are installed. You need to make provision to carry cable from installed meter to your parking for charger installation. Work and cost associated with carrying cable from meter to your parking place is outside of MSEB scope and you need to bare it. You need to take help from local electrician for cable installation from meter room to your parking place. MSEB engineer will just install the meter in the meter room and nothing else.

Once meter is installed, you need to wait for a month before reading is taken from the new meter and then meter number and its bill will be visible in Mahavitaran app.

Expenses -
MSEB connection expenses - Rs.11460
Undertaking and notary charges - Rs. 350
Total expenses - 11810

Total time it takes from application to meter installation - 3 weeks
Number of visits required to MSEB office - 2
Number of phone calls to MSEB Electrician for A1 signing and meter installation - 50 (These guys are super busy!)

Overall, if you follow the process and have all the proper documentation, it's straightforward. I hope this helps!

[elevator]

Originally Posted by linuxworld

You need to make provision to carry cable from installed meter to your parking for charger installation.

Thanks for the detailed instructions. Which cable you're planning to use from meter to parking ? 6sqmm or different one.

[Humane India]

- Very Informative write up
- Many people wanted to know the process in detail and had their doubts
- Thank you for taking the efforts for all EV enthusiasts in Maharashtra

[Rodie09]

Thanks! Brilliant write up and in detail. This will be very useful. It appears that yours is an apartment residence and therefore you spoke of meter room with other's meter. Please correct me if that is not the case.

What about an NOC from the apartment RWA in that case? I beleive that RWAs will be reluctant to allow individual wires being drawn from meter room and haphazardly cris crossing each other. No?

Edit: I see you did mention that there is no resistance in your case but I wonder what would be general process. Can the resident and MSEB alone decide on this?

[guptad42]

Thank you so much for making this detailed post. Three queries -

1. The charges for meter installation show two sets of service connection charges (+ deposit + GST). Any idea why? Which two services is MSEDCL connecting here? The amounts are also different.

2. In the meter picture from your R/Residential meter to EV meter, the connecting wire looks thin, though it could be an illusion. What is the gauge of this wire? I was under the impression 7.5KW charger needs 10mm square wires. (That's the wire guage used for 7.5KW chargers by Tata Power electricians installing chargers for Tata Motors EV customers.)

3. I assume the process is the same if we are getting a dedicated EV meter for 16amp plug/ 3.3KW charger. Would the installation charges or the monthly fixed charged be different?

[sushanthys]

Very detailed writeup. Thank you, linuxworld.
Having taken an EV specific connection in Kerala( LT-10) it is good to see that a lot of this stuff can be done online in Maharashtra. With KSEB, only the payment can be made online, rest everything will have to be done at the office.
For anyone interested, I'm posting the link to my experience with securing a LT-10 connection in Kerala(https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/elect...structure.html (Bought a 2nd EV | Upgraded my home charging infrastructure)).
There has been some issue with LT-10 Connection allocation in some parts in Kerala. The officers are either non coperative or feigning ignorance and delaying the entire process.I hope that is not happening in Maharashtra as well
On the brighter side,.KSEB is only charging Rs.5.50 per unit for LT-10 connection at the moment.
One query.I see that you have taken a single phase connection.
The company that did the 7.2 kw charger recommended a 3 phase connection for me.Do check with the service providers if single phase is enough.
And consider installing a Surge Protection Device(SPD) with your MCB, while installing the charger.

[linuxworld]

Originally Posted by elevator

Thanks for the detailed instructions. Which cable you're planning to use from meter to parking ? 6sqmm or different one.

I will be getting the car in the next week and will be doing charger installation in the subsequent week. I will update here on the kind of cable I use.

Originally Posted by Rodie09

Thanks! Brilliant write up and in detail. This will be very useful. It appears that yours is an apartment residence and therefore you spoke of meter room with other's meter. Please correct me if that is not the case.

What about an NOC from the apartment RWA in that case? I beleive that RWAs will be reluctant to allow individual wires being drawn from meter room and haphazardly cris crossing each other. No?

Thanks. I am staying in a multistory residential apartment. In our meter room, there are 200 residential meters. Initially, the MSEB electrician said he would install an EV meter wherever he finds the place in the meter room and borrow electricity from the nearest meter. However, I insisted on using my residential meter to borrow electricity and placed both meters beside each other.

Regarding the NOC, you don't need any society NOC to get the EV meter. However, you must talk to the committee and get permission to install a charger. The latest Power Ministry guidelines around EVs make getting permission from the committee and installing chargers in residential apartments easier.

As a due diligence, the MSEB officer will undoubtedly ask if you have taken permission from the committee. I firmly responded, "I have my private covered parking with proper place to install the charger. I have also informed the committee about the charger installation. There are other private chargers already installed in the society." You have to answer this question smartly.

Since I served on the committee for some time, I suggest that if any committee resists, you reach out to the Society Welfare Federation (for example, the Pune district Co-Operative Housing Federation). If needed, the federation can question the committee on not allowing charger installation and take it to the following authority. Instead of a lawyer at the initial stage, you should try to use the federation for your rights.

Originally Posted by guptad42

Thank you so much for making this detailed post. Three queries -

1. The charges for meter installation show two sets of service connection charges (+ deposit + GST). Any idea why? Which two services is MSEDCL connecting here? The amounts are also different.

2. In the meter picture from your R/Residential meter to EV meter, the connecting wire looks thin, though it could be an illusion. What is the gauge of this wire? I was under the impression 7.5KW charger needs 10mm square wires. (That's the wire guage used for 7.5KW chargers by Tata Power electricians installing chargers for Tata Motors EV customers.)

3. I assume the process is the same if we are getting a dedicated EV meter for 16amp plug/ 3.3KW charger. Would the installation charges or the monthly fixed charged be different?

On Connection charges - Honestly, I did not get into detail about why two services are shown in the calculation. I contacted a few people with EV meters, and all confirmed the exact charges.

Wiring - You are spot on with the observation. I also questioned the MSEB electrician on whether this wire would sustain a 7.5 KW load, and he was very sure. Wire does not have specifications. In the next few weeks, I will be having a charger installation. If the installation team advises, I will replace this wire with a better one. I will update here on the outcome.

On charges - The process to get an EV connection for a 16amp plug/ 3.3KW charger would be the same, and the charges will also be the same.

Originally Posted by sushanthys

One query.I see that you have taken a single phase connection.
The company that did the 7.2 kw charger recommended a 3 phase connection for me.Do check with the service providers if single phase is enough.
And consider installing a Surge Protection Device(SPD) with your MCB, while installing the charger.

I checked with BYD, who confirmed earlier chargers had three-phase connection requirements. However, the new 7.2 kw chargers will work perfectly fine with a single-phase connection. Hence, I proceeded with a single-phase connection. To my surprise, the MSEB officer offered a three-phase connection in the final conversation, but I stayed with a single-phase one.

Thanks for SPD suggestion. I will ensure it's installed before I use the new charger.

[ashdvd]

Great thread! thank you for sharing. I'm in Navi Mumbai and am hoping to get an EV in next 6-8 months. Can I get the meter installed without currently owning an EV?

[linuxworld]

Originally Posted by ashdvd

Great thread! thank you for sharing. I'm in Navi Mumbai and am hoping to get an EV in next 6-8 months. Can I get the meter installed without currently owning an EV?

Yes, you can install the meter without having an EV in the garage.

Just ensure that when the MSEB officer asks which EV you are getting, respond by stating you have booked Nexon or Punch and will be getting delivery soon. Since these are popular models, the conversation should end with it.

[elevator]

A-1 Form attached for the reference: A1_FORM_RCI.pdf

[varkey]

Originally Posted by sushanthys

One query.I see that you have taken a single phase connection.
The company that did the 7.2 kw charger recommended a 3 phase connection for me.Do check with the service providers if single phase is enough.

A 7 kW AC charger works only with a single phase ie there is only phase, neutral and earth inputs. Since this is a dedicated EV connection, with no other loads, having a 3 phase connection wouldn't make any difference, as the only load in this case is single phase. If we are sharing the same connection with residential usage, it would make sense to use a 3 phase connection, to ensure the the loads are spread out and balanced.

In Kerala, however as per KSEB policy, any connection above 5 kW connected load is only provisioned as 3 phase irrespective of the type of load. So I guess there is no other option.