• Bike-borne staff make mike announcements
• Consumers asked to pay power bills at designated spots or at CESC cash counters from 9 am to 12 noon

Mysore/Mysuru: At a time when many were hoping for relaxation on paying monthly electricity bills in the backdrop of nationwide lockdown, the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company (CESC) has issued a circular asking everybody to pay their electricity bills without fail.

Amidst Coronavirus scare and the lockdown, the CESC that had till now given some relief to consumers who were unable to pay their electricity bills at the different divisions of CESC, has resorted to resource mobilisation by speeding up bill collection drive.

Till now, there was stress only on online payments but now, the CESC has asked consumers to pay the bills at some designated spots in the layouts and at the reopened cash counters of Sub-Divisional Offices. 

Not only this, public announcements are being made by bike-borne CESC staff exhorting the consumers inside Mysuru city to visit the nearest CESC Office or the designated place, as announced by them in residential areas, to pay the dues.

As per the announcement, bills can be paid from 9 am to 12 noon by consumers wearing masks and after maintaining social distance as is the norm now. These announcers are going to each area and asking the residents to pay the electricity bills.

In rural areas like in Kodagu, dedicated CESC staff are calling the mobile numbers of consumers registered with CESC and requesting for bill payment.  In Mysuru, all the CESC cash counters have been opened to facilitate the bill payment.

Average monthly power consumption

CESC has issued power bills of March 2020 only to industries, based on actual meter reading. But the bills of other power consumers coming under commercial, domestic and other categories have been generated based on average monthly power consumption and sent through e-mail and mobile phone numbers of respective consumers. Based on e-mail and mobile messages, power consumers can make digital payments from the convenience of their home.

Consumers are requested to pay their electricity bills as per their previous month’s average bill amount, online through debit card, credit card, internet banking, wallet payment, UPI payments, Pay U App, IMI Mobile App, KarnatakaOne website or app. Any difference in amount depending on actual power consumption would be adjusted when the bill collection system is streamlined. 

However, such consumers who cannot make digital payments can pay bills at the cash counters at their CESC Sub-Divisional Offices before the due date. Apart from this, CESC will also be sending vehicles to get the March month’s bill and pay the average. The bill amount will be adjusted from June’s bill cycle.

Call Helpline

Consumers can also call 1912 (24×7 Helpline) and inform the respective CESC divisions of their account IDs and mobile number for obtaining the bill copies through mail, WhatsApp or SMS and then make the payment. They can also log on to www.cescmysore.org to pay bills online.

‘No power disconnection for 3 months but fine will be levied’

Power supply will not be disconnected for three months in case of default on payment. However, CESC will levy interest on the power bill amount in case of delayed payment, as per rules.

Speaking to ‘Star of Mysore’ this morning, CESC Superintending Engineer (Mysuru Circle) K.M. Munigopalraju said that arrangements have also been made to send CESC staff door-to-door to collect bill amount either in cash or through cheque only. 

All safety precautions like wearing mask, hand sanitising and maintaining social distance will be observed by the CESC staff armed with their ID cards during house rounds and as such the consumers need not worry about the spread of pandemic, he said and sought the co-operation of the consumers in remitting the bills on time and avoiding penalty.