Gruha Jyothi Yojana free electricity to residential consumers - Benefits , Eligibility , How to apply

Gruha Jyothi Yojana is a scheme launched by the government of Karnataka in 2023 to provide free electricity to residential consumers in the state. The scheme aims to improve the living conditions of people in Karnataka by reducing their electricity expenses and enhancing their quality of life. The scheme also tries to address the financial hardships faced by people due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns. The scheme also encourages people to use electricity wisely and responsibly.

Benefits of Gruha Jyothi Yojana

The main benefit of Gruha Jyothi Yojana is that it provides free electricity up to 200 units per month to all residential consumers in Karnataka. This means that if a person uses up to 200 units of electricity in a month, they will not have to pay any electricity bill. This can help them save around some money every month. The scheme also benefits the environment by encouraging people to use electricity judiciously and reduce wastage.

Eligibility for Gruha Jyothi Yojana

The eligibility criteria for Gruha Jyothi Yojana are as follows:

- The applicant must be a resident of Karnataka and have a valid Aadhaar card.
- The applicant must have a domestic electricity connection with BESCOM or any other electricity distribution company in Karnataka.
- The applicant must not have any pending dues or arrears with the electricity distribution company.
- The applicant must not have any commercial or industrial activity in their premises.
- The applicant must not have more than one domestic electricity connection in their name or in their family members' names.

How to Apply for Gruha Jyothi Yojana

The application process for Gruha Jyothi Yojana is simple and online. The applicants can follow these steps to apply for the scheme:

- Visit the official website of Seva Sindhu portal at https://sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in/Sevasindhu/English
- Click on "Gruha Jyothi Scheme" under the "Services" section on the homepage.
- Read the instructions and guidelines carefully and click on "Apply Online".
- Fill in the application form with the required details such as name, address, Aadhaar number, electricity connection number, mobile number, email id, etc.
- Upload the scanned copies of the necessary documents such as Aadhaar card, electricity bill, ration card, etc.
- Submit the application form and take a printout of the acknowledgement slip for future reference².

How to Utilize the Benefits of Gruha Jyothi Yojana

The beneficiaries of Gruha Jyothi Yojana can utilize the benefits of the scheme by following these steps:

- Check their monthly electricity consumption on their meter or on their online account with the electricity distribution company.
- If their monthly consumption is less than or equal to 200 units, they will not receive any electricity bill from the company.
- If their monthly consumption is more than 200 units, they will receive an electricity bill from the company for the excess units only.
- Pay the bill amount within the due date to avoid any penalty or disconnection

Utilize these BESCOM incentive rebates and save on your electricity bills

Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) provides various incentives , rebates and discounted tariff schemes for its customers . Below is one such list which consumers may utilize and save on their electricity bills.

List of incentive offers and rebates

• 0.25% rebate on the monthly electricity bill for values exceeding Rs.1,00,000/- and payments made before 10 days before the due date
• 0.25% rebate for all advance payments made above Rs.1000/- monthly electricity bills
• Free replacement of all analog mechanical meters to electrostatic digital meters.
• BESCOM pays interest on the security deposit amount . This interest is usually credited during the month of June or July and is deducted from the monthly bill
• Under the SouraGruha program , subsidy ranging between 20% to 40% for Solar roof top installations for Homes , Resident Associations.
  
• For HT consumers , under the Discounted Energy Rate Scheme (DERS) , provides a Rs.6 unit tariff discount for additional electricity consumption
• SC/ST - BPL BESCOM consumers can now avail 75 units of electricity supply for free by submitting the required documents to their respective BESCOM Sub-divisional office. Copies of  BPL card , Aadhaar card , Caste certificate , Bank pass book to be submitted to avail same.

 

• For HT consumers , Under the special Incentive scheme (SIS) , Excess energy consumed by the eligible consumers, over and above the average base consumption as arrived at during the non-peak period between 10.00 Hours and 18.00 Hours, shall be allowed a discount of Rs.1.00/- per unit  , for usage between 22.00 hours to next morning 06:00 hrs , a discount of Rs.2.00/- per unit in the bill
• Lowest charging rates for EV vehicles at EV charging stations at BESCOM centers in the city . Rs.7.51 for fast charging , Rs. 6.84 for standard charging and  Rs.6.70 for slow charging 
• Solar water heater rebate of up-to Rs.50
• Free charging at 2 sockets for Ather electric vehicles at BESCOM K.R Circle office
  
• HT consumers can opt Green Tariff by paying an additional tariff of 50 paise per unit over and above the normal tariff
  

Some penalties consumers have to be aware  

• If the usage is more than the sanctioned load , then such usages are charged at 1.5 times the regular bill charges and this is accounted under the Penalty section in the electricity bill

BESCOM whatsapp numbers for complaints and resolution

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is always one step forward when it comes to reaching out its customer problems and providing resolution. Adding to its customer interactive programs with the 24x7 helpline 1912 , now BESCOM offers whatsapp medium to report complaints and get resolutions.

Below is a list of BESCOM Whatsapp numbers for various districts 

• Bengaluru city - 8277884011 , 8277884012 , 8277884013 ,8277884014
• Kolar  - 8277884015
• Chikkaballapura - 8277884016
• Bengaluru Rural - 8277884017
• Ramanagara - 8277884018
• Tumkur - 8277884019
• Chitradurga - 8277884020
• Davangere -  8277884021

 

Consumers may save these contact numbers and utilize to report complaints sharing their RR number , area , contact details and sharing information about the complaint and get resolution. Customer care agents at BESCOM interact our Whatsapp messages and also share the complaint reference docket numbers.

BESCOM PGRS utility , raise and track complaints online

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is known for its innovative steps for customer engagement , interactions and issues resolution.  One such initiative is the BESCOM PGRS , which is explained in this article how consumers may utilize this useful utility.

What is BESCOM PGRS

BESCOM Public Grievance Reddressal System (PGRS) is a web portal utility using which consumers can raise and track complaints. 

How to access BESCOM PGRS

• In any web browser open the website link https://bescompgrs.com .  
• Entering a valid mobile number is sufficient to access the portal.
• Portal can be accessed in English / Kannada languages 

 

What are the features available in PGRS

Consumers may utilize below PGRS portal features

• Raise a complaint by selecting relevant category
• Tracking the status of a raised complaint 
• Online chat with BESCOM representative on issue reddressal
• View a status summary of various complaints handled by BESCOM
• Submit feedback on the issue resolution
  

 

What type of complaints may be raised in PGRS

All categories of BESCOM complaints may be raised on PGRS such as 

• Failure of power supply due to fuse off / line break / pole broken
• Voltage specific complaints , variations and fluctuations
• Meter specific - slow operation / burnt / inspection for correctness
• Billing issues - re-connection after disconnection  , field reports
• Safety issues - trimming trees , replacing pole , bent poles , shifting poles
• Theft - hooking , theft through illegal connections
• Any staff specific allegations
  
• New connection load increase requirements
• Phase conversion , LT to HT , 3 phase connections
  
• Transfer of ownership , title , change in tariff
• Deposit refunds , certificates etc

Complaints raised using PGRS may also be inquired on BESCOM customer care number 1912 using Docket number as reference

Bengaluru Electric Vehicles charging made easy with BESCOM EV Mithra

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has introduced a smartphone application EV Mithra using which users can easily locate the nearest Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.

With increasing penetration of Electric vehicles in Bengaluru , the need for charging stations is a requirement for conveniently charging the vehicles during emergencies. EV Mithra app is a very handy utility to find a compatible charging stations around , pay a nominal charge and get the vehicles back to charge.

EV Mithra App features

• Search, Filter and Locate nearest EV Charging Stations compatible with their Electric Vehicle(s) 

• Reserve an EV Charging Slot
  

• Navigate to the selected EV Charging Station
  

• Authenticate with help of RFID or QR Code

• Start and Stop Charging through the App

• View Live Charging Status on the App

• Pay for the EV Charging Session through a Closed Wallet or an array of Payment Gateways (BillDesk)

• Get the Charging Invoice on the App

• Further the user can track the entire history of transactions /charging done till date through the app

• View Charging Station Reviews and actual Site Photographs

• Use the same system on the web through your desktop/laptop 

 

 

To use the app , users have to download the app from respective app store , install the app , create a login account by entering Name , Mobile number and a password. A one time password (OTP) is generated on registration to confirm the authenticity. Users can anytime change the password using the forgot password link.

Once registered , users can login using their mobile number and password. On login , using GPS list of nearby charging stations gets displayed on a map . On clicking on the station , complete details of the station i.e its location , type of charge point , Availability , Cost of charging per Kilo Watt Hour (KWH) , contact details , timings , reviews and photos of the station.

To book a quick charge , users have to top-up their wallet available in the app through linked accounts . Based on the duration selected with vehicle number details - Estimation consumption in KWH and estimated price is displayed. Invoices are generated within the app.

Users can customize the app by selecting options to display charging stations based on type such as Community , Public , Captive etc with filters for which their vehicles are compatible.  There are various options to filter based on popularity rating , tariff , connector types , location , vehicle types such as 2W , 3W , 4W , HMV etc.