Electricity complaint in Karnataka: where to go
In Karnataka, five ESCOMs supply electricity: BESCOM, MESCOM, CESC Mysuru, HESCOM and GESCOM. Complain to your ESCOM first, then go to the district CGRF and then to the Electricity Ombudsman.
- 3 steps: discom, forum, Ombudsman
- Official numbers and addresses
- Checked 16 October 2026
Contact BESCOM
- BESCOM 24x7 complaint handling: https://bescom.karnataka.gov.in/27/24x7--complaint-handling-procedure-and-sop-time-line/en
- BESCOM CGRF online grievance: https://cgrfbescom.ideainfinityit.com/
- BESCOM district forum addresses: https://bescom.karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/CGRF/Final%20CGRF%20English%20write%20up.pdf
- Electricity Ombudsman, Karnataka: 080-41692617, ombkar@gmail.com
The steps, in order
Complain to your ESCOM
- Complain to your ESCOM first and write down the complaint number.
- Wait for the time limit in the KERC Standards of Performance.
- If the ESCOM does not solve it, file with the district forum within 3 months.
- Count the 3 months from the date the ESCOM should have solved it. The forum can accept a late filing.
Go to the CGRF
- Each revenue district has one forum. BESCOM lists its district forum addresses in its CGRF write-up.
- File in writing in Form A. BESCOM also has online registration.
- You need no advocate, and you pay no court fee.
- The district forum decides within 60 days of admission.
- If it does not decide in 60 days, or rules against you, the grievance goes to the corporate-level forum automatically.
- The corporate-level forum decides within 30 days.
Appeal to the Ombudsman
- Appeal within 30 days of receiving the forum order. The Ombudsman can accept a late appeal.
- Send it to The Electricity Ombudsman, KERC, No.16 C-1, Miller Tank Bed Area, Vasanthanagara, Bengaluru 560052.
- The Ombudsman tries to decide within 2 months, and records reasons if it takes longer.
Compensation you can get
| If the discom fails to… | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Defective, stuck, fast or slow meter not replaced in 24 hours (urban) or 72 hours (rural) | Rs 200 for each default |
| Meter not inspected and checked within 7 days | Rs 200 for each default |
| Bill complaint not solved within 24 hours | Rs 200 for each day of default |
| Late new connection (metro 7, municipal 15, rural 30 days) | Rs 1,000 for each day of default |
Remotely monitored items pay automatically; for others, complain in Form A at the designated office (KERC Rights of Consumers and SoP Regulations 2022, Reg 6.1).
If you think the meter is wrong
- Ask your ESCOM to inspect and check the meter. The ESCOM must check it within 7 days.
- If you dispute the meter, the ESCOM sends it to a third-party agency that KERC approves.
- You pay the testing fee directly to that agency (Conditions of Supply, clause 27).
- The national rules also require a test within 30 days of your complaint.
What we could not confirm
- The Conditions of Supply (2006 text) set Rs 100 per meter for a domestic test at your request. We could not read some later amendments (scanned copies), so we could not confirm this fee.
- KERC has a draft Electricity Supply Regulations 2026 under consultation. It may replace the Conditions of Supply, including the test fee.
- We did not find the Ombudsman deposit rule. We could not read the 2007 and 2013 amendments (scanned images).
- We did not confirm the BESCOM helpline or 1912 on official pages. News reports mention 1912; we found no official page.
- We did not check the forum lists of MESCOM, CESC Mysuru, HESCOM and GESCOM.
Questions
Must I complain to the ESCOM before the forum?
Yes. KERC rules say you go to the forum if the ESCOM does not solve the complaint within the service time limit.
Is there a fee for the forum?
No. BESCOM says you need no court fee and no advocate.
What is the corporate-level forum?
KERC added it in 2025. It takes your grievance if the district forum does not decide in 60 days or rules against you.
Can my ESCOM cut my supply while I dispute a bill?
Not if you pay under protest. Pay the amount claimed or your average monthly charge for the last six months, whichever is less (Electricity Act s.56(1)).
Sources
- KERC (CGRF and Ombudsman) Regulations, 2004, Reg 7.4, 9.3, 22.3
- KERC (CGRF and Ombudsman) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2025, Reg 3.2.1(c), 6.1
- BESCOM CGRF and Ombudsman write-up (forum and Ombudsman addresses, no court fee)
- BESCOM CGRF page
- KERC Rights of Consumers, SoP and allied matters Regulations, 2022, Schedule I, Reg 6.1
- Conditions of Supply of Electricity, Karnataka (2006, with I and II amendments), clause 27
Read on 16 October 2026. Phone numbers and addresses change: check the official page before you send a letter.
ebbillcalc is not part of any discom or regulator. The regulations and your discom have the final word.