The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), in the recent past has received appreciation for its various citizen-friendly initiatives. The long queues at billing counters is gradually diminishing with Bescom’s initiative of creating an online portal for paying electricity bills. The power utility has come up with a call centre where complaints on power outages can be registered round the clock and consumers are even called back to check if the power is restored.
Online payment of bills
To pay electricity bills online, consumers can log on to the official website http://www.bescom.org [1] and can click on the Online Payment option listed on the home page. One has to create a login account which can be used for bill payments. Consumers will have to submit their RR number which would be automatically registered for future transactions. Online payment can be made through debit/credit cards of various banks listed on the payment portal. New RR number can also be added to the account for multiple electricity bill payments.
24x7 helpline for consumers
Bescom consumers can call the toll-free number 18004252627 or 080-22873333 to register their complaints. Going by consumer reviews, the helpline seems to be quite efficient. Consumers can register a complaint related to power outage and the helpline executives will respond within in a few minutes with the relevant reason for the outage. They will also follow up on the complaint by calling back the consumer and checking if the power is restored. To maintain transparency in the functioning of the call centre, consumers can also view the call centre live on Bescom’s website.
New connections within 24 hours
Bescom has launched a unique citizen-friendly initiative where domestic and commercial connections can be got in just one day. The application form can be downloaded from the official website and are also available at all sub-divisional offices. Documents of ownership proof such as sanctioned plan/tax paid receipt/khatha certificate/sale deed/NoC from the owner if the applicant is tenant, have to be enclosed. The applicant can meet the area sub-division officers/Asst. Engineer (Tech.) to avail power supply with the above documents. Related details of the procedure are given on the Bescom website.
Consumer grievance
The company website has an option for consumers to give their feedback on services provided, at http://bescom.org/en/consumers/bescom-grievance.asp [2] .
Electricity calculator
If you feel that your electricity bill is rigged, all you need to do is to visit the Bescom website. To simplify the process of monthly bill calculation, the agency has provided a bill calculator which can calculate the amount and units consumed as per the number of hours an appliance is in use each day. One can log on to http://bescom.org/en/consumers/consumption-calc.asp [3] to calculate the monthly bill.
Links:
[1] http://www.bescom.org
[2] http://bescom.org/en/consumers/bescom-grievance.asp
[3] http://bescom.org/en/consumers/consumption-calc.asp