First, which ESCOM bills you?
Karnataka has five electricity supply companies. Your bill and meter board show which one is yours.
| ESCOM | Districts | Official app (as listed on app stores) |
|---|---|---|
| BESCOM | Bengaluru Urban & Rural, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davanagere | BESCOM Mithra |
| MESCOM | Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru | Nanna MESCOM |
| CESC Mysuru | Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar | CESC CSS (bills and smart meter recharge) |
| HESCOM | Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gadag, Haveri, Uttara Kannada | Website; separate "Smart Meters-HESCOM" app for smart meters |
| GESCOM | Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Vijayanagara, Yadgir | GESCOM Snehi |
Download apps only from the official Play Store or App Store listing published by the ESCOM. Several look-alike "bill pay" apps and sites exist. If an app asks for your card PIN or screen-sharing, uninstall it.
Account ID vs RR number: which one to use
- Account ID (also called consumer ID or customer ID): a numeric ID used by the billing system. BESCOM's quick payment page asks only for this. Most apps and UPI billers also ask for it.
- RR number (revenue register number): the older alphanumeric connection number, printed on the bill and usually painted on the meter board. It often includes the subdivision code.
In a building with many meters, the meter board label and the bill must match. If they are not labelled, compare the meter serial number printed on the bill with the one on each meter, and write the account ID on the board with a marker for next time.
Both are printed on the bill, usually near the top. If you have lost the bill, the ESCOM app, a photo of an old bill, the meter board, or 1912 can give you the account ID.
Every app shows the consumer name and amount after you enter the ID. Read it. Paying against a neighbour's account because of one wrong digit is very common, and getting it moved means a letter to the subdivision and weeks of waiting.
Reading the payment part of your bill
Before you pay, spend a minute on the lines that decide how much and by when. Names vary slightly between ESCOMs, but every bill carries these:
| Line | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Bill date | The date the clock starts for paying without interest |
| Due date | Pay by this date to avoid interest |
| Disconnection date or notice | Often printed on the bill itself. After this date the lineman can cut supply. |
| Current bill amount | This month's charges. The tariff guide explains each line. |
| Arrears | Unpaid amounts from earlier bills |
| Interest | Late-payment interest on those arrears |
| ASD | Additional security deposit demanded after the yearly review. See our ASD guide. |
| Last payment | Amount and date of the payment the ESCOM has received |
| Net amount payable | What the app should show when you enter the account ID |
A minus sign on the net amount means you have a credit, often the yearly interest on your deposit or an earlier excess payment. There is nothing to pay; it is adjusted in later bills. For Gruha Jyothi homes, a zero net amount is normal within the free limit. If the app shows zero but your bill shows an amount above your Gruha Jyothi entitlement, the bill on the app may not have updated yet; wait a day and check again.
Official ways to pay
- ESCOM website. BESCOM has a quick payment page on bescom.co.in that needs only the account ID. The other ESCOMs have consumer portals linked from their official sites (mescom.karnataka.gov.in, cescmysore.karnataka.gov.in, hescom.karnataka.gov.in, gescom.karnataka.gov.in). Pay by UPI, net banking or card.
- ESCOM app. Add the account once and you get bill history, receipts and complaint registration in one place.
- UPI apps through Bharat BillPay (now "Bharat Connect"). Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, bank apps and others list Karnataka ESCOMs as billers. Choose the exact ESCOM name. Availability has changed over time: HESCOM stopped BBPS payments in March 2023 and later took steps to bring them back. If your ESCOM does not show, use its own portal.
- Counters. Subdivision cash counters, Bangalore One, Karnataka One and Grama One centres. Keep the printed receipt.
- Smart prepaid meters. If you have a prepaid smart meter, you recharge it rather than pay a monthly bill. Use the ESCOM's smart meter app or portal. The balance and daily deduction show there.
Paying in practice
- 1Take the account ID from the latest bill
Use the ID, not the meter serial number.
- 2Choose the ESCOM portal, app or UPI biller
Select the exact ESCOM. BESCOM and HESCOM are separate billers.
- ?Does the name and amount match your bill?Yes PayNo Stop and re-check the ID
- 4Save the receipt
Keep the transaction ID, the BBPS reference (if any) and the ESCOM receipt number.
- ✓Confirm on the next bill
The payment should show under 'last payment'. If not, raise it with the receipt.
Payment debited but not credited?
This is the most common complaint at the counter. Go through it calmly:
- Wait one working day. Many payments update in the ESCOM system late, especially at month-end.
- Check the app's transaction status. "Pending" usually becomes success or an automatic refund.
- RBI's turnaround-time rules say that when your account is debited but the merchant (here, the ESCOM or biller) does not get confirmation, the money must be reversed within T+5 days. If it is late, the bank owes you ₹100 per day as compensation.
- If the money went through but the bill still shows due, email or take the receipt (transaction ID, date, amount, account ID) to the subdivision or the ESCOM's customer care. Bharat Connect payments also carry a complaint reference that you can raise in the same app.
- Never pay twice to "be safe" without checking. Getting excess money adjusted is slow. It usually comes as a credit in later bills.
When BESCOM tightened disconnections from September 2024, it also advised consumers who paid online to show the payment receipt to staff if the system had not updated yet. Keep the receipt on your phone.
Due dates, interest and disconnection
- Due date. As reported in September 2024, BESCOM allows 15 days from the bill date to pay without interest, then another 15 days with interest. After that the connection can be cut. Linemen now come with meter readers to disconnect unpaid connections. Other ESCOMs follow the same KERC framework, but check the due date on your own bill.
- Interest. The KERC tariff order provides for simple interest of 1% per month on the actual days of delay for late payment.
- Notice. Section 56 of the Electricity Act needs at least 15 clear days' written notice before disconnection for non-payment. In practice the notice is often printed on the bill itself. Read the small print.
- Reconnection. Pay the dues plus reconnection charges, and the supply should be restored, usually the same day if done within six months of disconnection. If the connection has been dead for a long time, KERC's 2025 amendments allow reconnection of an intact building after you clear dues, the deposit and fixed charges, without a fresh application.
- Disputed bill? Don't just stop paying. Pay under protest as explained in our high bill complaint guide.
Biller names, apps and portals change. Before you pay, check the payment link on your ESCOM's official website (bescom.karnataka.gov.in, mescom.karnataka.gov.in, cescmysore.karnataka.gov.in, hescom.karnataka.gov.in or gescom.karnataka.gov.in) or call 1912. Never pay through a link received by SMS or WhatsApp from an unknown number.
Several meters, parents' house, and keeping records
- More than one connection? Add each account ID in the ESCOM app or your UPI app's biller list and give each a nickname ("Home", "Shop", "Farm pump", "Amma's house"). Paying the wrong one is the usual mistake when IDs are saved without names.
- Paying from outside the state or abroad. The ESCOM portals and UPI billers only need the account ID, so a son or daughter in another city can pay for parents. Make sure the ESCOM has a working mobile number on the account so that SMS bills and disconnection notices reach someone.
- Auto-pay. Many bank and UPI apps let you set a bill reminder or auto-pay against a registered biller. If you use it, put an upper limit on the amount. A sudden high bill (for example after a meter change) should be checked before it is paid automatically.
- Records. Download the receipt or take a screenshot every month and keep them in one folder for at least two to three years. They settle "unpaid arrears" disputes, name transfer requests, and refund claims when you close a connection.
- Tenants. If you pay the owner's connection, send the owner a copy of each receipt. It avoids arguments at the end of the tenancy.
- Shops and small businesses. Keep the ESCOM's own receipt, not just the UPI screenshot, for your accounts.
Bill payment scams to watch for
Fraud messages claiming "your power will be cut tonight, call this officer" have been common across India. An ESCOM does not ask you to call a private mobile number, install a remote-access app, or pay into a personal UPI ID.
- Pay only through the ESCOM site or app, or a known UPI app's biller list.
- Your real dues are on the bill and on the ESCOM app. Check there.
- If in doubt, call 1912 or walk into the subdivision.
Questions
How can I pay my BESCOM bill online?
Use the quick payment page on bescom.co.in with your account ID, the BESCOM Mithra app, or BESCOM listed as a biller in a UPI app. Save the receipt.
What is the difference between account ID and RR number?
The account ID is the numeric consumer ID used for billing and online payments. The RR number is the connection's revenue register number printed on the bill and meter board. Most online payments ask for the account ID.
My UPI payment for the electricity bill failed but money was debited. What now?
Wait a working day and check the transaction status. Under RBI rules a failed merchant payment must be reversed within T+5 days, after which the bank owes ₹100 per day. If the payment succeeded but the bill shows due, give the receipt to the ESCOM.
Can I pay HESCOM bills through Google Pay or PhonePe?
HESCOM stopped BBPS payments in March 2023 and later moved to restore them. Check whether HESCOM appears as a biller in your app. If it does not, pay on the HESCOM website.
When will my electricity be disconnected for non-payment in Karnataka?
BESCOM said in 2024 it disconnects if the bill is unpaid about 30 days after the bill date: 15 days without interest and 15 days with interest. A written notice of at least 15 clear days is required by law.
Is there a late fee on Karnataka electricity bills?
Yes. The KERC tariff order provides for interest of 1% per month on the actual number of days of delay.
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.
- BESCOM: Online bill payment
- BESCOM quick payment
- BESCOM Mithra (App Store)
- Nanna MESCOM (Google Play)
- CESC CSS (Google Play)
- Smart Meters-HESCOM (Google Play)
- All About Belgaum: Hescom stops BBPS payments (Mar 2023)
- NewsKarnataka: BESCOM stricter disconnection policy (Sep 2024)
- Deccan Herald: Bescom to snap connections if dues not cleared within 30 days
- KERC tariff order 2025 (HRECS copy, late payment interest)
- SolarQuarter: KERC simplifies power reconnection (Sep 2025)
- RBI: Harmonisation of TAT and customer compensation for failed transactions
- Bharat Connect (Wikipedia)
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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