Temporary connections come with permanent problems

Bescom looks to bring more areas under prepaid meter project

They may be temporary connections, but they come with problems more permanent in nature for the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom). Consumers taking temporary connections from the power utility have been drawing power over the sanctioned load, causing losses to Bescom. While Bescom has not been able to quantify the losses, officials admit to a strain on the power supply mechanism.

Bescom has given out more than 53,000 temporary connections, including for new constructions, exhibitions, cinema tent houses and hoardings. Close to 3,000 connections are serviced every month.

Officials say in many cases, the consumer draws more power than is sanctioned. In the case of regular meters for temporary connections, this goes unrecorded, leading to monetary losses for Bescom. “Sometimes, even the owner/builder won’t know what the required load is,” an official said.

The solution

One of the solutions to this problem is installation of prepaid meters, which Bescom has successfully piloted in East Bengaluru, including areas like Indiranagar, Marathahalli and Whitefield. These meters record the over-shooting of sanctioned load.

While the utility has been mulling extending these to ‘high-growth’ areas in South and North Bengaluru (including areas like Yelahanka which see a lot of construction activity), the high cost of prepaid meters is turning out to be a hindrance.

In a bid to tackle this issue, Bescom has filed a petition with the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) seeking permission to get consumers to bear part of the cost. With a difference of Rs. 9,000 between a prepaid meter and a regular one, Bescom wants consumers to pay a monthly rental on prepaid meters.

“A regular meter would cost Rs. 930 for single phase and Rs. 1,900 for three phase. But the investment for prepaid meters is higher. A single-phase meter costs Rs. 10,000, while a three-phase meter costs Rs. 12,000. For the pilot, Bescom purchased the meters. In the case of regular meters, consumers buy them on their own after getting permission from Bescom,” an official said.