Close to 10 lakh consumers in the jurisdiction of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) have been paying a penalty for exceeding the sanctioned voltage owing to use of multiple electronic devices simultaneously. This is amid Bescom’s efforts to create awareness among people to apply for an increase in sanctioned load if they purchase Air Conditioners (AC) and such new electronic devices which are power-consuming.
According to data accessed by DH, close to 11 lakh consumers paid a penalty in January and February this year and the number came down marginally in March and April.
The data showed that close to 85 per cent that paid a penalty were residential connections and the officials attributed this to the increasing use of electronic devices among households.
“Many residential constructions are 10 to 20 years old and would have applied for a maximum voltage of 2-3 kW. However, over time, the number of devices would have increased but the sanctioned voltage would remain same and as a result, their utilisation will breach the sanctioned load, attracting a penalty,” a senior Bescom official said.
Yet another official advised that the consumers should apply for an increase in sanctioned load when the number of appliances increases.
“For instance, owing to the increasing temperatures in Bengaluru, many of them might buy a Air Conditioner and using AC along with refrigerator, television, geyser and such other appliances simultaneously even for 15 minutes will definitely lead to breach of sanctioned voltage if they have a sanctioned voltage of 2-3 kW which is common in most residential connections,” the official explained.
Bescom usually plans its demand by considering the sanctioned voltage and excess use could result in supply problems and even load shedding. Hence, Bescom officials said that a fine is levied to make up for such problems.
“This is especially a problem during peak hours since our infrastructure is planned based on the sanctioned load. When the load increases, our supply gets affected and this may lead to a host of problems including disruptions in power supply. Hence, we have to penalise them to make up for the losses,” the official said.
The officials added that the Bescom was trying its best to create awareness by serving notices to those who breach the sanctioned load limit for three consecutive months.