POWERLAK Lakshadweep : Energy Billing & Consumer Management System (eBCMs)

Organisation : Department of Electricity (POWERLAK)
Facility Name : Energy Billing & Consumer Management System (eBCMs)
Applicable State/UT : Lakshadweep
Website : https://powerlak.utl.gov.in/eBCMs/FrmFUEnergyBilling.aspx

What is Energy Billing & Consumer Management System‏?

e-(energy/electronic) Billing & Consumer Management System (eBCMs) is a refined web-enabled system for total management of Consumer Service Connections in Lakshadweep. This is a G2B, G2C application seamlessly operational since July 2007 for the department of Electricity.

It’s an MIS that systemizes the total functionalities and business processes with regard to a Consumer Service Connection, from its connection request point to Deactivation in a work-flow automation model. Major business processes include Consumer Registration, Service Connection Establishment, Monthly and periodical Consumer Billing, Service Connection Fault Rectification and Cons

Features of Energy Billing & Consumer Management System

** Consumer can pay monthly bills from 1st to 25th of every month.
** Government Consumers are billed on a monthly billing perception where the Meter reading is provided by the consumer himself (Self-Reading).
** Private Consumers also are billed on a monthly billing perception where the Meter reading is provided by the consumer himself (Self-Reading).
** Every Consumer should make at least one payment between 1st and 25th to stay ‘LIVE’
** Bill cum disconnection notice with BPSC [2%] charged will be served (on portal as well as SMS) for every defaulting consumer [from 1st to 5th of every month]. Consumer has to pay the belated bill on or before of the 20th of every month
** Disconnection will be enforced after the 20th for belated consumers who stay unpaid.
** Reconnection of the service will be the discretion of the department on payment of all dues.
** For Disconnected consumers, option for Reconnection will be open only up to 6 months of non-payment.
** Disconnected consumers will be charged with a BPSC on last consumption for every month up to 6 unpaid months.
** After 6 months of non-payment permanent disconnection will be forced on the consumer and his name will be de-listed from the consumer list.
** However the outstanding dues against that Deactivated Consumer will be carried forward every month and it will be a fixed amount.
** This amount will be recovered from the consumer through recovery proceedings.
** Multi-level involvement is ensured in billing application. The JE has to record, Disconnection, Reconnection, Meter stuck, Meter Change and Extension of temporary connection.
** The AE can monitor all transactions under the sub-division and has to intervene to generate Service Connection Order as required.
** AE has to admit/reject the Online applications received. The EE can monitor all the transactions and can get summary reports pertaining to whole Lakshadweep.
** BCC is responsible for all the billing counter activities namely Generation of Bills [Month Close], Receipt of Bill Payment, Receipt of Miscellaneous Bill, Printing of Bills,Bill-Proposals, Printing of Receipts, posting of surprise-checks, posting of Consumer Readings etc.
** Govt. Consumer Readings and surprise checks can be posted in bulk.
** However if one Govt. Consumer reading is not posted by BCC the consumer will be considered as ‘Door Lock’. In door lock cases bill is served using ACM method.

Work Flow of Energy Billing & Consumer Management System

eBCM system comprises of three component systems namely Consumer Management, Energy Billing and Complaint Management. All the three are interdependent as well.

Consumer Management:
Consumer Management, deals with the Consumer Master. Consumer portal is extending facilities for online application for service connections. The applications received for service connection, its scrutiny, inspection, service connection order, security deposit and service connection execution are the natural flow involved with a service connection.

Energy Billing:
Energy Billing, is done at the billing counter. Any Billing counter clerk [CCC] can login and start collecting the payments. Generally CC bill payments and miscellaneous payments are collected at the counter. Each payment will be recorded with a unique receipt no. and the receipt can be printed on the pre-printed receipt form.

Instruction of Energy Billing & Consumer Management System

** The Bill must be presented at the time of payment without which payment will not be accepted.
** Consumer bills shall be remitted at the authorised collection centres of the Department. Payment dates are stipulated to be between 1st and 25th of every month.
** Government Consumers as well as the Private Consumers have the same methodology of Self-Reading and Average Consumtion Method(defaulting) for billing. Every consumer should pay their present bill once every month.
** Bills are generated at the time of Payment only. However consumers can fetch their Bill-Estimations from the Consumer Facilitations Portal.
** Non Receipt of CC Charge Bills or Proposals will not entitle the consumer to defer or to delay the payment beyond the due date
** If the Consumer is not making payment regularly within the dates stipulated, he will be served with Bill cum Disconnection Notice [BDN] usinf the ACM Method. He is liable to pay a surcharge of 2% on the CC charges as well.
** For Belated consumers BDN will be served as stipulated in clause 56(1) of the Electricity Act 2003 before the 5th of every month.
** The consumer can fetch the same from the Consumer Portal. Supply will be disconnected on any day after the ‘Disconnection Date’ prescribed in the BDN if the payment is not made on or before the ‘Due Date’ prescribed..
** Consumer should not refuse payment under the pretext of ‘Error in the Bill’. Such Bills be paid under protest and written complaint be made with regard to the accuracy of the Bill.
** Please quote your Consumer No. and full address in all correspondences with Department for any information/correction on the Bill.
** The Consumer is bound by the terms and conditions of Power Supply and appropriate Tariff in force.
** The Consumer is responsible to intimate the ‘defects of energy meter’ to the Department in time.
** ACM bills charged against the consumers will be reverted in the following month if they produce the reading.

Additional Simplified Procedure

The Energy Billing & Consumer Management System (eBCMs), also known as POWERLAK, is a system for managing electricity billing and consumers in Lakshadweep, India. It was implemented in July 2007 to improve the efficiency and transparency of the billing process.

Here’s some information about the system:
Features:
** Online bill payments through BHIM, Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe and other platforms. (https://powerlak.gov.in/eBCMsConsumerPortal/frmOnlinePayment.aspx)
** Mobile app for consumers (POWERLAK Services) to access bill information and potentially make payments (information about payment functionality unclear).
** Complaint registration system.
** Department meter reading instead of self-reading for most consumers (since October 2018).

Benefits:
** Streamlined billing process.
** Easier bill payment options.
** Improved communication between consumers and the electricity department.