Failure to pay the electricity bill within 30 days of receiving it will result in disconnection of power supply in the first week of the following month itself from now, officials of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) announced on Friday.
Until now, after meter reading, meter readers and linemen used to revisit the premises of consumers with outstanding bills to disconnect their power supply in the first 15 days of every month. However, from September 1, linemen will accompany meter readers the first time itself and disconnect power supply of consumers with overdue bills.
“Instead of going twice, our meter readers and linemen will visit the premises of consumers only once now. They will give the bills and if the consumer has arrears, then they will immediately disconnect the power supply,” said Mahantesh Bilagi, managing director, Bescom.
The power utility provides 15 days for consumers to pay their electricity bills before the due date without any interest. After that, an additional 15-day grace period is provided to pay the bill with interest. If the consumers still fail to pay their bills, then the supply will be disconnected as per the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission norms. Similarly, the power connection will also be disconnected for those who have not paid their additional security deposit.
Bescom also issued an advisory for consumers: “When paying electricity bills online, there may be instances where the payment does not immediately reflect in the Bescom system. In such cases, consumers are advised to present their payment receipt to the Bescom staff to avoid disconnection. Consumers are requested to cooperate with the Bescom staff to ensure a smooth process.”
