Where the rights come from
- Electricity Act, 2003, Section 43: the ESCOM must supply on request within the time set. Under Section 43(3), an ESCOM that fails is liable to a penalty of up to ₹1,000 for each day of default. The Commission imposes this penalty; it is not an automatic payment to you.
- Section 57: state commissions set standards of performance. An ESCOM that fails a standard is liable to pay the affected person compensation as the commission determines.
- Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, amended in February 2024, issued by the Ministry of Power. They set the 3 / 7 / 15 day connection limits and the right to compensation.
- KERC (Rights of Consumers Relating to Supply of Electricity, Standard of Performance and allied matters) Regulations, 2022, notified on 7 October 2022. This is the Karnataka regulation that sets the time limits and the compensation schedule, and the CGRFs apply it.
A Deccan Herald report found BESCOM had received no applications in four years under the consumer rights rules. The rights exist; almost nobody uses them.
The time limits
The new-connection limits below come from the 2024 central rules and reports on KERC's 2022 regulations. The service-restoration limits are KERC's guaranteed standards as summarised in a Forum of Regulators comparison of state standards. They may have been revised in the 2022 regulation, so check the regulation PDF on kerc.karnataka.gov.in before you quote a figure in a claim.
| Service | Cities and towns | Rural |
|---|---|---|
| New connection, no line extension (complete application) | 3 days (metro) / 7 days (other municipal) | 15 days |
| Normal fuse-off call | 6 hours | 12 hours |
| Overhead line / cable breakdown | 6 hours (10 hours if poles are broken) | 24 hours |
| Failed distribution transformer replaced | 24 hours | 72 hours |
| Voltage complaint, no network work needed | 7 days (120 days if the network must be upgraded) | |
| Meter: inspect a complaint / replace a slow, creeping or stuck meter | 7 days / 10 days | |
| Burnt meter replaced | 7 days if the ESCOM's fault; 24 hours after payment if the consumer's | |
| Bill complaint resolved | 24 hours; 7 days if more information is needed | |
| Name / title transfer | 7 days from application | |
| Single-phase to three-phase or back | 30 days from payment | |
| Reconnection after payment of dues | Same day | 24 hours |
Where a new line, transformer or substation is needed, longer limits apply. Older KERC rules allowed 45 days for LT line extensions, and KERC's August 2026 draft proposes up to 90 days for service line extension. If you self-execute the line, supply is due within 15 days of your readiness notice once statutory approvals are produced.
How much compensation? What we could and could not confirm
The compensation schedule is part of the KERC 2022 SoP regulations. The Commission's website was not reachable when we prepared this post, and we found no reliable report quoting the current rupee amounts for each standard. Figures you may see online (for example "₹50 per week" or "₹50 per hour") come from unofficial sources or older regulations, and we have not repeated them. Get the schedule from the regulation itself, or ask the CGRF or your subdivision for it in writing.
What is clear from the framework:
- Compensation is payable to the affected consumer for each standard missed. Many state schedules pay a fixed amount per day or per hour of delay, with a cap.
- It is usually given as a credit in your bill, not cash.
- Some standards allow ESCOMs to escape payment for reasons outside their control, such as storms, floods and large-scale failures. During the monsoon, expect that defence. See monsoon electrical safety.
- Compensation for electrical accidents (injury, death, livestock) is a separate process. See electrical accident compensation.
How to claim
- 1Register the complaint and note the time
Call 1912, use the ESCOM app or WhatsApp line, or file at the section office. Write down the complaint number, date and time.
- 2Keep evidence
Photos, the application acknowledgement, payment receipts, SMS updates, a log of calls and visits.
- 3Written claim to the ESCOM
Once the time limit has passed, write to the AEE / EE of the subdivision or division. Name the regulation, the standard missed, the dates, and ask for compensation under it.
- ?Resolved within a reasonable time?Yes Check the credit appears in your billNo File with the CGRF
- ✓CGRF, then the Electricity Ombudsman
Apply to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum in your district. If you disagree with its order, appeal to the Ombudsman.
CGRF timelines: under KERC's draft amendment published in January 2025, a district CGRF is to decide within 60 days, with a corporate-level CGRF for escalation within 30 days. Complaints are to be filed within three months, though forums can excuse delay for good reason. Appeals to the Ombudsman are due within 30 days of the CGRF order. Confirm the final notified version with the forum.
For power cuts, see power cut complaint numbers. For bills, see high electricity bill complaints.
A claim letter you can adapt
Keep it to one page. Send it by email to the subdivision and division, or hand it in at the office and get the copy stamped with the date.
To: The Assistant Executive Engineer (Ele), O&M Subdivision, [place], [ESCOM].
Subject: Claim for compensation under the KERC (Rights of Consumers ... Standard of Performance) Regulations, 2022, for RR / account no. [number].
1. On [date and time] I reported [a failed transformer / fuse-off / stuck meter / new connection pending], complaint or application no. [number].
2. [Supply was restored / the connection was given / the meter was replaced] on [date and time], or it is still pending as of today.
3. The applicable standard is [state the standard, e.g. replacement of a failed distribution transformer within 72 hours in rural areas]. The delay beyond the standard is [hours or days].
4. I request compensation as per the schedule of the regulation, credited to my account, and a written reply.
Enclosed: complaint SMS / acknowledgement, receipts, photos.
If there is no reply in a reasonable time, attach the same letter and the office's acknowledgement to your CGRF application. The CGRF will ask whether you first approached the ESCOM, and this proves it.
Two more things. File the claim soon after the event. Some state schedules set a deadline for claims, and a fresh claim with dated evidence is far stronger than one about a cut six months ago. And keep the claim separate from any unrelated dispute about a bill. Mixing them lets the office treat the whole letter as a billing complaint.
Is it a default? Three examples
Before writing a claim, work out whether the standard was really missed. Count from the right starting point and leave out time the ESCOM can fairly exclude.
| Situation | Standard (as listed above) | Count | Default? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Village transformer fails Monday 6 pm, replaced Friday 10 am, no storm | 72 hours, rural | 88 hours | Yes, 16 hours late |
| Same failure, but caused by a cyclone that took down lines across the district | 72 hours, rural | 88 hours | Probably excused as an event outside the ESCOM's control |
| Stuck meter reported on the 1st, inspected on the 5th, replaced on the 25th | Inspect in 7 days, replace in 10 | Inspected in time, replaced late | Yes, for the replacement |
For a new connection in a town, the clock starts only when the application is complete, with every document and the wiring test report, and in many cases when the charges are paid. A file that was returned for a missing paper on the 3rd and completed on the 10th is counted from the 10th. Our guide to a permanent connection for a new house lists the papers so the clock starts on day one.
Meter complaints are the easiest to prove, because the dates are on the meter change record. Our meter guide explains how to check and report a faulty meter.
Making a claim that works
- The clock starts only on a complete application. For a new connection, a missing test report or OC paper means no default. Get a dated acknowledgement listing what you submitted.
- Pay the demand note promptly. Many limits run from the date of payment. If you sit on the demand note, the ESCOM is not in default.
- Quote the standard, not your frustration. "Transformer failed on 3 June, complaint no. X, replaced on 9 June, the rural standard is 72 hours" gets read. A long angry letter does not.
- Group complaints. When a whole street is off because of a failed transformer, each consumer is affected. A joint letter with each RR number carries weight.
- Use RTI for records. If you need the ESCOM's own log of when a complaint was attended, an RTI application to the division gets it.
- Escalate penalty cases to KERC. For a persistent failure to connect, a petition to KERC can lead to a Section 43(3) penalty and directions to the ESCOM.
KERC regulations, tariff orders and ESCOM circulars change from time to time, and a new consolidated Electricity Supply Regulations draft was published by KERC in August 2026. Before you act, confirm the current rule with your ESCOM subdivision office (BESCOM, MESCOM, CESC Mysuru, HESCOM or GESCOM), on kerc.karnataka.gov.in, or on the helpline 1912.
Questions
How long can the ESCOM take to give a new electricity connection in Karnataka?
Where no line extension is needed, 3 days in metropolitan areas, 7 days in other municipal areas and 15 days in rural areas from a complete application. Line extensions and new transformers allow longer.
How quickly should a failed transformer be replaced?
KERC's standards as summarised by the Forum of Regulators give 24 hours in cities and towns and 72 hours in rural areas. Check the current KERC 2022 regulation for any revision.
How much compensation does the ESCOM pay for delay?
The amounts are set in the KERC 2022 Standards of Performance regulations. We could not confirm the current figures from an official source, so ask for the schedule in writing from your subdivision or CGRF.
How do I claim compensation from BESCOM, HESCOM or other ESCOMs?
Register the complaint and keep the number, write to the subdivision or division engineer citing the standard missed, and if it is not resolved, apply to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum, then the Ombudsman.
What is the CGRF?
The Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum is set up by each ESCOM under KERC regulations to hear consumer complaints. Appeals against its orders go to the Electricity Ombudsman.
Is the ₹1,000 per day under Section 43 paid to me?
Section 43(3) of the Electricity Act is a penalty of up to ₹1,000 per day that the Commission can impose on an ESCOM. Consumer compensation is set separately under the standards of performance.
Sources
Rules and figures in this article were checked against these sources on 30 Sep 2026. Schemes and tariffs change, so confirm with the official office before you act.
- Section 43, Electricity Act 2003 (Indian Kanoon)
- SCC Online: Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Amendment Rules, 2024
- CSIS India States: KERC releases Rights of Consumers / SoP Regulations, 2022
- Forum of Regulators / IIT Kanpur: presentation on Standards of Performance (state comparison)
- KERC Conditions of Supply incl. Duty to Supply Regulations 2004 (GESCOM copy)
- SolarQuarter: KERC proposes amendment to CGRF and Ombudsman regulations (Jan 2025)
- Deccan Herald: No plea in 4 years under rules that protect power consumers' rights
- SolarQuarter: KERC draft unified Electricity Supply Regulations 2026
- KERC regulations page
Need this done for you?
We handle the electrical work and the ESCOM, KPTCL and CEIG liaisoning anywhere in Karnataka, with BESCOM, MESCOM, CESC, HESCOM and GESCOM. Email basavalalith.electricals@gmail.com or use the enquiry form.
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