Interact Regularly With Customers, ESCOMS Told

Chairman of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) Sreenivasa Murthy on Friday urged electricity supply companies (ESCOMS) to interact regularly with their customers in order to prosper.

At a workshop on ‘electricity tariff determination’ held in the city by the Consumer Rights, Education and Awareness Trust, Murthy said that while “it is not a sin to be a public sector organisation’’, it is, if the organisation does not care for its consumers. A ‘take it or leave it’ attitude will not help ESCOMS to survive for long, he said. At the workshop, two research papers titled ‘Civil Society Participation in Electricity Governance’ and ‘Power supply in Bengaluru -  Facts and Gaps’ were also released. The papers investigate the source, planning, demand and shortfalls of power supply.

Murthy also urged electricity consumers to familiarise themselves with the basic process of problem resolution. “Customers should know the functioning of the utility and their rights. They must know whom to contact in case of a problem and must take part in regular consumer interaction meetings,” he said.