Implementation and Investigation of Net Metering: Proposing Real-Time Tariffs for Residential Consumers in Maharashtra State

This article presents two practical methods used for lowering residential consumers' electricity bills. The first method is the implementation of net metering, which is used in many areas, such as Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, India, South America, Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina [1]-[3]. One example of the implementation and analysis of net metering is discussed in case study 1. The second method is the implementation of time of day (ToD). This is examined in case study 2 and is available in other countries for residential consumers, whereas in India, it is available only for nonresidential consumers. This article also presents a survey of electricity tariffs in different countries and various tariff structures in India. To optimize the electricity bill, a ToD tariff model is reviewed. This ToD model is used in many countries like the United States, Germany, Japan, and China. But in India, ToD is available only for the nonresidential sector. This article proposes a real-time tariff (RTT) model for the residential sector without significantly affecting the current structure. The proposed tariff structure is tested and verified by considering the case study of a middle-class residential family in India. A detailed analysis shows that the proposed structure is very useful to consumers, utilities, and the nation in general.