How to Get a New BESCOM Electricity Connection Online (Bengaluru)
A new domestic connection in BESCOM territory — Bengaluru and seven surrounding districts — is applied for online, but the right portal depends on where the premises is. Most applicants use BESCOM's own LT services portal at bescom.co.in; Karnataka's Seva Sindhu portal also carries the service. This guide covers who applies where, the document list (including the wiring-contractor test report that surprises most first-time applicants), what you pay, and the legally enforceable timelines.
1. Which portal — bescom.co.in, ieasybill or Seva Sindhu?
BESCOM splits its online services by area, and its own site links two different application portals:
- RAPDRP (urban) areas — Bengaluru city plus towns such as Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Doddaballapura, KGF, Tumakuru, Davanagere and Chitradurga — apply on bescom.co.in/bescom/auth/forms.
- Non-RAPDRP (rural) areas use BESCOM's ieasybill portal (linked from the same Apply Online page on bescom.karnataka.gov.in), which handles new connections, tariff changes and name transfers for rural sub-divisions.
- Seva Sindhu (sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in) is Karnataka's umbrella service portal and also accepts BESCOM new-connection applications — useful if you already have a DigiLocker-linked Seva Sindhu login. The application lands with the same sub-division either way.
Domestic supply in Bengaluru is billed under LT-2a. Current slab rates and fixed charges are on our BESCOM tariff page — worth a look before you choose the sanctioned load, since the fixed charge is per kW per month.
2. Documents — the wiring test report is the one people miss
| Requirement | Accepted documents |
|---|---|
| Identity proof | Aadhaar, voter ID, passport, PAN or driving licence. |
| Ownership / occupancy proof | Sale deed, khata certificate/extract, property-tax paid receipt, or allotment letter. Tenants: rent agreement plus the owner's no-objection letter. |
| Wiring test report | Issued by a licensed electrical contractor after wiring the premises — BESCOM will not energise without it. Keep the contractor's licence number handy; it goes into the form. |
| Photograph | One passport-size photo of the applicant. |
Tenants can apply in their own name. Supply is the occupier's right under Section 43 of the Electricity Act, 2003 — the connection attaches to the premises, and a rent agreement with the owner's NOC (or an indemnity bond where the owner will not sign) is the standard paper trail.
3. The application, step by step
- Register on the portal for your area (mobile-OTP login), pick New Connection, and select the supply category — LT-2a for a home.
- Fill premises and load details. Ask for the load you actually need — 1–3 kW covers most flats; every sanctioned kW adds to the monthly fixed charge. Our fixed-charges guide shows how to size it.
- Upload documents (PDF/JPEG) including the wiring test report, and pay the application/registration fee online.
- Site inspection. A BESCOM engineer verifies the wiring, the load and the distance from the nearest pole — typically within 3–5 working days in Bengaluru.
- Pay the demand note. After inspection BESCOM issues a note covering the security deposit, meter cost and any service-line charges. Pay it online; this payment starts the energisation clock.
- Meter installation. New BESCOM connections now get smart meters by default. Your 10-digit account ID / RR number arrives by SMS; the first bill follows in the next cycle. Learn to decode it with our BESCOM bill guide.
4. What it costs
Three separate amounts, often confused with each other:
- Application fee — a small registration amount paid at submission.
- Security deposit (MSD/ISD) — roughly two months' expected consumption, held against your future bills and refundable when the connection is surrendered. Scales with sanctioned load.
- Service-line and meter charges — fixed by BESCOM's schedule of charges; small if the premises is within a service-drop of an existing pole, higher when a line extension is needed (the inspection decides this).
The exact figures print on the demand note — pay only what it shows, through the portal. No lineman or middleman fee is ever payable; estimate your future bills with the bill calculator before choosing the load.
5. Timelines — and what to do when nothing moves
Under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, a complete paid application must be energised within 7 days in metropolitan areas (Bengaluru), 15 days in other municipal areas and 30 days in rural areas — line-extension cases follow the KERC Standards of Performance instead. BESCOM services are also covered by Karnataka's Sakala guarantee, which stamps a due date on the acknowledgement.
- Stalled application? Quote the application number at BESCOM's 1912 helpline, or escalate to the sub-division AEE — the portal dashboard names the officer.
- Still stuck? A written complaint to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) citing the Rules usually unblocks it; compensation for delay is payable under KERC's SoP regulations.
- Gruha Jyothi: once the connection is live, register it on Seva Sindhu for the scheme's free-units benefit — it is not automatic for new RR numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Which website do I use for a new BESCOM connection?
What documents does BESCOM need for a new connection?
How long does a new BESCOM connection take?
How much does a new BESCOM connection cost?
Can a tenant get a BESCOM connection without the owner?
Now check your own bill
Reading is half the job — run your own units through your DISCOM's real slab rates, fixed charges and FPPA and get an itemised bill in seconds. Free, no sign-up.
Related on TheDiscomBill
More guides
General guidance based on publicly available tariff orders and regulations; specifics vary by state, DISCOM and consumer category. Verify against your DISCOM's official schedule or your printed bill.