The Kerala State Electricity Board has said that more than half its 1.3 crore customers are paying their bills online and that it is offering more services online to avoid people visiting its offices against the backdrop of the pandemic and make the services transparent and smooth.
Board sources say about 53% of remittances in fees and electricity bill payments, accounting for about 50% of the customers, are being done online. It is a relief in terms of physical visits to electricity section offices for the customers at the time of COVID-19, when resources are stretched and there is pressure on service providers.
A customer wanting electricity connection will now be able to submit her/his application online without having to go to the section office. They can change ownership of connection, change tariff rate, shift connected load, and shift phases using the online facilities.
Applicants will be able to follow up the progress of the application submitted to the KSEB through short message service or e-mail.
The board has also facilitated services in such a way that consumers can now take meter reading in containment zones. The reading and the photo of the electricity meter can by uploaded on the board site after which the consumer will receive the bill.
In the meanwhile, the board has launched, on a pilot basis, a project for providing ‘service at doorstep’. The project has been launched in Palakkad and is expected to be extended to other districts with improvements in the near future, the sources said.
A customer will now be able to make a call to the KSEB prescribed number and become its customer without having to go the local office. From a new connection to change in ownership of the connection can now be done online with KSEB officials visiting the premises at the convenience of customers.
All fees can be paid online and verification of documents will be done on the spot when board officials visit the site. They need not be submitted in original to the board office.
