You have the right to;

1. Know the requirements and time taken to obtain a new connection without any undue preference and discrimination.
2. Obtain a connection as an owner or occupant who is in 50 meter from the distribution line or could be connected to any such line supplied and laid by him/herself.
3. Obtain an application form free of charge, to receive advice to fill application and to submit required documents.
4. Within 10 working days of making a request for an electricity supply, receive a notice specifying;
   • The extent to which the proposals specified for electricity supply are acceptable.
   • Counter proposals made by the service provider.
   • Applicable tariff category.
   • Payment including any security deposit that the consumer may be required to make.
   • Any other terms and conditions consumer may be required to accept.
5. Get a retail connection within 10 working days from the date of payment.

Receive your first electricity bill within 60 days from providing the supply or if the service provider fails to do so, to settle the charges due in reasonable monthly installments, without any interest.

Let us take the following example to understand how a complaint arises

Eg:
After obtaining a new connection, you receive the first electricity bill after 6 months and service provider inform you to settle the bill amount of say Rs.12,000 within 14 days.
You are dis-satisfied for the above. Therefore, as a first step, you can make a complaint to your service provider and claim your right of making the payment in reasonable monthly installments [as per right (6) above]. If he did so, your right is protected and complaint is resolved. If he did not do so, follow the step 2 of the CHP. The Commission will take action in accordance with step 3, 4 and 5 to resolve your complaint.

You have the obligation to;

1. Pay all charges due to service provider for the provision of any meter, electrical line or plant.
2. Pay additional charges with respect to additional visits to your premises due to non-fulfillment of the requirements specified in the application form.
3. Grant the service provider to use a suitable place to install the meter.

Allow the service provider to install and keep installed an electrical line, plant for the purpose of providing a supply of electricity to your premises.

Let us take the following example to understand how a complaint arises

Eg:
When providing a new connection, the place you provided to install the meter is not secured enough and the connection was not given.  

You are dis-satisfied with it and make a complaint to the service provider and it is rejected by him. Subsequently as per Step 2 of the CHP, you complaint it to the Commission and the Commission takes action as per Steps 3,4 and 5 of the CHP and inform you that, to fulfill your obligation of providing a secured place to obtain a new connection. Here due to non-fulfillment of your obligation, you did not receive your connection on the day you wanted.

Let us consider the following complaint to illustrate how the disputes are being resolved.

Eg:
A consumer received an estimated electricity bill of Rs.4,963.50 for 200 units continuously for 6 months, as his house was closed when the meter reader arrived to read the meter. The consumer received a disconnection notice to pay Rs.29,781.00 to avoid disconnection whereas his average electricity consumption per month was 150 units and the amount to be paid by him was Rs.18,261.00. Consumer informed the service provider that he was not agreeable to pay Rs.29,781.00.

The service provider informed the consumer that it was their practice of issuing electricity bill when the meter reader is not provided access to read the meter.

Here, a dispute has been arisen because the agreement between the consumer and the service provider of issuing an electricity bill based on the consumption recorded from the meter is violated.

The consumer complains the case to the Commission and it identifies the case as a dispute as per Step 6 of CHP. The Commission in turn takes action as per the DRP to resolve the dispute.

This booklet provides you information on the procedure adopted by the Commission in handling your complaint. You can obtain more information on complaint handling procedure by contacting us or from our website (www.pucsl.gov.lk).