BENGALURU: The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on March 26, issued orders, directing all the Energy Supply Corporations Limited (Escoms) to allow low tension (LT) residential consumers to avail multiple connections in their premises. An official from KERC said that this is the first time such an order has been issued. The KERC issued to the orders, based on the rising complaints and requests it was getting from consumers.
“There are complaints of inconvenience caused to consumers. They complained that they have to approach the Escom offices frequently, to obtain permission for the multiple connections in their premise. Hence the orders have been issued,” the order said.
The KERC power tariff orders, dated February 28, 2024, removed the multiple power tariff slabs and directed for a uniform slab for all consumers. It also allowed LT residential consumers to avail multiple connections as per requirements to their premises. A senior KERC official told TNIE, “There was a lot of corruption and people were getting multiple connections illegally. Now with this order people can legally avail it.”
However the order has left state Escoms officials worried, as consumers will misuse it to split their electricity bill and avail the benefit of Gruha Jyothi scheme, which they were not getting otherwise.
This will become a burden on the state government. To this, the KERC official said: “It is up to the Escoms to check the base load of each consumer, and take a call on extending the benefit to them or not. As per the government orders, for new connections, the base consumption is 53 units with 10 per cent addition, making it 58 units.”
A Bescom official said: “There is a rider in the order, which reads - The office is directed to propose the necessary amendments to the conditions of supply, following the procedure. With this, we will prepare a petition and submit to the KERC, it will then be placed for public hearing after which it will be approved by KERC and then sent to the government for gazette notification and only then it will be implemented. This procedure will start only after the MCC is completed. So consumers will not get the benefit immediately.”