RTI for BESCOM: Bengaluru Electricity Bill, New Connection & Power Outage Records

The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is Karnataka's largest power distribution company, serving approximately 8.4 million consumers across eight districts including Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Tumkuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Ramanagara, Chitradurga, and Davanagere. Incorporated as a government company under the Companies Act and licensed by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), BESCOM is under the administrative control of the Government of Karnataka's Energy Department. Its operations span residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural electricity supply — from new connections and meter testing to transformer maintenance and solar net metering.

Consumers routinely encounter problems that demand documented answers: electricity bills that spike without a change in consumption, new connection applications stuck in processing for months without explanation, frequent power outages with no recorded cause or timeline, and solar net metering applications that remain pending long after the prescribed deadline. BESCOM is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, because it is substantially financed and controlled by the Government of Karnataka. This means every citizen has a statutory right to access the records BESCOM holds — and the Right to Information Act is one of the most direct ways to obtain precise, documented information about your electricity account, connection, outage history, or complaint.

What BESCOM Records Are Available via RTI?

The RTI Act, 2005, entitles any citizen to inspect or obtain certified copies of records held by a public authority. For BESCOM, the following categories of records are commonly sought and routinely disclosable:

Electricity Bill and Meter Reading Records

BESCOM records meter readings for every consumer in each billing cycle. If you believe your bill is inflated, RTI can surface:

• The actual meter readings (opening and closing) recorded for each billing cycle over a specified period and the name of the meter reader who recorded them
• Whether estimated billing was applied in any cycle in lieu of an actual reading, the reason for the estimation, and the cycles affected
• The tariff slab and rate per unit applied, all fixed charges, fuel surcharge, taxes, and arrears included in each bill
• Any corrections or adjustments made to your account during the period and the basis for those adjustments

This record forms the documentary foundation for a billing dispute filed with BESCOM's Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum (CGRF) or a complaint under the Electricity Act, 2003.

New Service Connection Application Status

BESCOM and the Karnataka Sakala Services Act, 2011, prescribe mandatory timelines for processing new service connection applications. RTI can provide:

• The date on which each processing stage was completed or is currently pending — field inspection, estimate preparation, demand notice, payment confirmation, material issuance, erection, and meter installation
• The name and designation of the officer responsible for each pending stage
• Any reason formally recorded for a delay beyond the Sakala-prescribed or BESCOM service-guarantee timeline

Transformer Failure and Supply Restoration Records

BESCOM maintains outage and transformer failure logs as part of its regulatory reporting to KERC. These records are disclosable and can include:

• Date, time, and cause of each transformer failure in a specific feeder or sub-division area during a specified financial year
• Capacity and identification number of the transformer, number of consumers affected, and the time taken to restore supply
• Whether the repair or replacement was carried out by BESCOM staff or an external contractor under a maintenance contract, and the contractor's name and work order number

This data is useful for citizens facing chronic outages and for complaints to KERC about BESCOM's non-compliance with performance standards on outage duration (SAIDI) and frequency (SAIFI).

Meter Testing and Replacement Records

Under KERC regulations and the Indian Electricity Rules, a consumer may request meter accuracy testing. RTI can provide:

• The date and location of the meter accuracy test, the methodology applied, the testing officer's name and designation, and the percentage error found
• Whether the meter was certified as accurate or declared defective, and the date on which it was replaced if defective
• Any adjusted bills issued to correct overbilling caused by a defective meter, and the basis for the adjustment calculation

Solar Rooftop Net Metering Records

Karnataka has a KERC-notified Solar Rooftop Net Metering policy under which BESCOM is required to process applications and install net meters within prescribed timelines. RTI can provide:

• Stage-wise processing status of your net metering application — technical feasibility study, approval or rejection, net meter installation, and commissioning
• The reason for any pending stage and the officer responsible
• Details of any subsidy or incentive amount sanctioned or due under MNRE or KREDL schemes in connection with your application

Consumer Complaint Records

BESCOM sub-divisions receive and are required to track consumer complaints by category (billing, outage, meter fault, new connection, transformer, etc.). RTI can disclose:

• The total number of complaints received at a specific sub-division in a given financial year, categorised by type
• The number resolved within the service guarantee period and the number still pending beyond that period
• Average resolution times per category, useful for identifying systemic failures in service delivery

How to File RTI with BESCOM

Step 1: Identify the Right SPIO

BESCOM has a decentralised structure. RTI applications relating to your electricity account, local outages, or sub-division-level complaint data should be addressed to the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) at the concerned O&M Sub-Division Office — the sub-division that administers your consumer number. For corporate-level policy information, address the SPIO at BESCOM's head office. Your electricity bill will show your sub-division name.

Step 2: Draft Specific, Numbered Requests

Use the sample application provided above as your base. Fill in your consumer number, meter number, application reference number, and the relevant feeder or sub-division name. Frame each information need as a separate, numbered query. Avoid broad requests such as "provide all records in my file" — precise queries get faster, more complete responses.

Step 3: File Online or in Person

BESCOM is a Karnataka state public authority. You may file your RTI application through bescom.karnataka.gov.in or through the Karnataka government's RTI portal at rtionline.karnataka.gov.in, both of which support online filing and online payment of the ₹10 fee. Alternatively, submit a physical application by registered post or in person to the SPIO at the concerned BESCOM Sub-Division Office. Pay the ₹10 application fee under Section 6 by Indian Postal Order, demand draft in favour of "BESCOM," or as directed by the online portal. BPL cardholders are exempt from the fee; attach a copy of your BPL ration card.

Step 4: Track Your Response Timeline

The SPIO must respond within 30 days of receipt of your application under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. If the information you seek concerns life or liberty — for example, an unrestored power supply to a medical facility — the deadline is 48 hours under the Section 7(1) proviso. Keep your acknowledgement number or postal tracking receipt as proof of filing.

Step 5: Use Appeals if Needed

If BESCOM does not respond within 30 days, or the response is incomplete or evasive:

• First Appeal under Section 19(1): File with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) designated within BESCOM within 30 days of the date of the decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee is required.
• Second Appeal under Section 19(3): If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file with the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) under Section 15 of the RTI Act within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the expiry of the FAA's response period. The KIC can direct BESCOM to furnish the information and impose a penalty of ₹250 per day (up to ₹25,000) on the SPIO personally under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Understanding the Jurisdiction: BESCOM is a State Body

BESCOM is a state public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. All appeals remain entirely within the Karnataka state system. The Central Information Commission (CIC) has no jurisdiction over BESCOM or any other Karnataka state public authority. Filing a second appeal with the CIC instead of the KIC will result in it being returned as not maintainable.

The correct appeal chain is:

• First Appeal: First Appellate Authority (FAA), BESCOM (at the relevant sub-division or head office level)
• Second Appeal: Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) — constituted under Section 15 of the RTI Act for all Karnataka state public authorities

Tips for an Effective BESCOM RTI Application

• Always include your consumer number and meter number in any RTI about your electricity account. BESCOM serves millions of consumers; an RTI without these identifiers is likely to receive a response that the information cannot be located.
• Specify the exact billing cycles or financial year when asking for billing or outage records. Requests without a defined time window are difficult for the SPIO to process and easy to return as "information not available in the requested form."
• Ask for certified copies of specific records — meter reading registers, test reports, outage logs, complaint registers — rather than asking BESCOM to "explain" a decision. Certified copies are admissible as evidence before the CGRF, KERC, or a civil court.
• For billing disputes, file the RTI before the CGRF complaint. The RTI response will contain the actual meter reading data and billing calculation; this documented evidence will significantly strengthen your position before the Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum.
• For solar net metering delays, quote the KERC Solar Rooftop Net Metering Regulations in your RTI to signal that you are aware of the prescribed processing timeline. This often accelerates the administrative response.
• Cross-reference outage data with KERC performance reports. KERC publishes annual performance reports for BESCOM covering SAIDI and SAIFI metrics. If the outage data you obtain via RTI is inconsistent with BESCOM's reported figures to KERC, this discrepancy is itself grounds for a formal complaint to the regulator.