a. Registration of complaints by allotting a unique identification number to be called the cornplaint number:
b. Communication to consumer of the complaint number, date time of registration of the complaint and expected complaint resolution time to the consumer;
c. Record details of each complaint (As per Annexure - I).
d. Intimate contact details of the next higher authority (including his name. telephone number and address) 10 the consumer in case the consumer is not satisfied with the complaint handling or "'hen requested by him.
and e. Update and record feedback of the consumer on the action taken along with the total time taken for resolution of the complaint.
Establishment of call centre (s)
9.2 Licensee shall within the following time limits, from the date of commencement of these regulations, establish call centre(s) for redressal of complaints of its consumers, and such Call Centre(s) shall be accessible to its consumers round the clock ·duringall days of the week.
a. For "Urban Areas" within 6 months;
b. For "Rural Areas" within 12 months; and c. For "Remote Areas" within 24 months.
9.3 The Licensee shall use the existing channels for recording the consumer complaints as per the procedure defined m Regulation 9.1 till the establishment of Call Centre(s).
9.4 Every licensee shall depute adequate number of staff at its Call Centre(s) and earmark or allot or establish a basic telephone or cellular mobile telephone number having sufficient lines or connections to be called as the "toll free number" or "Consumer Care Number", as the case ma) be.
9.5 The Licensee should ensure availability of electronic data base to record complaints as per the procedure defined in Regulation 9.1 for the Call Centrers). This data bank should also be linked "'ith the Consumer Billing Data Base.
Creating awareness
9.6 Every licensee shall, immediately upon establishment of its Call Cerurets). inform through a Public Notice in newspapers in circulation in the area of suppl). The licensee should also ensure proper circulation or information to the consumers in case of any changes in the contact numbers. lntorrnation should be prepared in English, Hmdi and local languages and should be accessible to consumers easily.
9.7 The Licensee should publish the guaranteed standards of performance along with compensauon structure and information on procedure for filing of complaints. in the bills for month of January and July, If it rs not possible to publish the same at the back of the bills, the licensee should publish it on a separate hand out and distribute it along with the bills.
THE GAZETTE OF INDIA: EXTRAORDINARY • IO. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS Guaranteed Standards [PARTIll-SEC.
I 0.1 The Licensee shall furnish to the Commission within 15 days from the close of each quarter. a quarterly repoproviding the following infonnation:
a. Performance levels achieved by the licensee with reference to the guaranteed standards (specified 1Schedule - I of these regulations) in the format as provided in Annexure - II of these regulations;
b. Measures taken to improve the performance; and c. Details regarding the cases in which compensation was paid, as per format provided in Annexure - II othese regulations.
Overall Standards I 0.2 The Licensee shall furnish to the Commission within 15 days from the close of each quarter, a quarterly reportprovidingthe following information:
a. Level ofperfonnance achieved with reference to the overall standards (specified in Schedule - II of theseregulations)in the format as provided in Annexure - Ill of these regulations; and b. Measures taken by the licensee to improve performance in the areas covered by overall standards.
11. INCLUSIONSAND EXCLQSIONSOF EVENTS
11. I A power interruption shall include any outage in the distribution system. extending from the distributiosubstation to the consumer meter, which may be due to the tripping of protective devices during faults or thfailure of distribution lines and I or transformers, and which results in the loss of power supply to one or morconsumers.
11.2 The application of the Standards of Performance specified in these Regulations shall remain suspended in caseof the followingevents:
a. force majeure events such as war, mutiny, civil commotion, riots, floods, cyclone, lightning.earthquake o:other force and strike, lockout, fire affectinglicensee's installations and activities;
b. outages due to generation failure or transmission network failure;
c. outages that are initiated by the National Load Despatch Centre/RegionalLoad Despatch Centre/ StateLoad DespatchCentre during the occurrence of failure of their facilities: and d. outages due to such other events which are with the approval of the Commission after due notice anchearing.
12. REPEAL ANO SAVINGS Save as otherwise provided in these Regulations,the Joint ElectricityRegulatoryCommission (Standards ofPerformance)Regulations,2009 are hereby repealed.
["lPT III-? 4] 29 Notwithstandingsuch repeal anything done or action taken or purported to have been taken, or proceedings initiated under such repealed Regulations, shall be deemed to have been taken under these Regulations to the extent that the same were not inconsistent with the Act.
13. POWER TO REMOVE DIFFICUJ..TIES If any difficulty arises in giving effect to any of the provisions of these Regulations, the Commission may, by general or special order, do or undertake or direct the licensees to do or undertake things, which in the opinion of the Commission are necessary or expedient for the purpose of removing the difficulties.
14. POWER TO AMEND The Commission may, at any time and on such times as it may think fit, amend, alter or modify any provisions of these Regulations or remove any error or defect in these Regulations.
SCHEDULE-I GUARANTEED STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE SL.NO. Nature of cause of Powe'r Maximum Time Limit for Restoration Supply Failure I. Fuse Blown out or MCB Tripped Within 4 hours for Urban area Within 8 hours for Rural areas Within 12 hours in Remote Areas
2. Service Line Broken/ Within 6 hours for Urban areas Service Line snapped from the Within 12 hours for Rural areas Pole Within 18 hours for Remote areas
3. Fault in Distribution Line I Rectification of fault and thereafter Restoration of normal power System supply within 12 hours Temporary Supply to be restored within 4 hours from alternate source.
4. HT Mains failed Rectification of fault within 12 hours.
Temporaryrestoration of power supply within 4 hours.
5. Break down of underground Rectification of fault within 24 hours of occurrence of break down .. cable after obtaining clearances .
Temporary.restorationof supply within 4 hours.
6. Distribution Transformer Replacement of failed Transformer:
· Failed/Burnt Within 24 hours in Urban areas Within 48 hours in Rural areas Within 60 hours in Remote areas Temporary Restoration of supply through mobile transformer or another backup source within 8 hours in Urban areas, 12 hours in Rural areas and 18 hours in Remote areas.
I f [PARTIll-SEC. 4] THE GAZETTE OF INDIA: EXTRAORDINARY 30
7. Problem in grid (33 kv or 66 kv Repair and restoration of supply within 48 hours.
or 110 kv) substation Restoration of supply from alternate source, within 6 hours.
Roster load shedding may be carried out to avoid overloading of alternate source.
8. Failure of Power Transformer Rectification Action Plan to be intimated to the Commission within 72 hours.
Rectification to be completed within the time frame approved by the Commission.
Restoration of supply from alternate source within 6 hours Roster load shedding may be carried out to avoid overloading of alternate source.
9. Period of scheduled outages Interruption in power supply due to scheduled outages, other than the load-shedding,shall be notified by licensee at least 24 hours in advance and shall not exceed 12 hours in a day.
Quality of Supply
10. Voltage fluctuations Licensee shall maintain voltages at the point of commencement of the supply to a consumer within the limits stipulated as under, with reference to the declared voltage:
a. In the case of Low Voltage, +6°,o and -6% b. In the case of High Voltage, +6% and -9%; and C. In the case of Extra High Voltage, +10% and -12.5%11. On receipt ofa voltage fluctuation cornplainr,licensee shall verify if the voltage fluctuation is exceeding thelimits specified and upon confir::mation,licensee shall resolve the problem within the time limits specifiedbelow:- i. Local problem on the Within 3 days transformer ii. Distribution Network a. Within 15 days for LT system and 30 days for HT system,problem where no expansion or enhancement of network is involved.
b. Within 180 days if upgradation of distribution system is required.
12. In case where substation is required to be erected to resolve voltage fluctuation complaints, licensee shall,within one month of the receipt of such complaint, submit to the Commission a proposal for erection ofsubstation, together with the time required to complete erection and commissioningof such substation andget the same approved by the Commission. In such cases, licensee is required to inform the consumer aboutthe likely time of resolution of the complaint. Provided that where such substation is covered in thelicensee's capital expenditure plan approved by the Commission, the licensee shall complete the erectionand commissioningof such works within the time period specified in such capital expenditure plan.
I
13. Industrial and agricultural consumers. who are expected to install capacitors at their end, shall not be paid 'the compensation if capacitors of adequatecapacity are not installed by them at their premises.
'I ['WT III-? 4) 31
14. Complaints about Meters I r • Time to be taken by Licensee
2. Within one month of the consumer depositing the estimated amount as mentioned above.
I. One month for giving the estimated amount to the consumer for shifting.
Licensee shall inspect the premises and change the category within I 0 days from the date of receipt of application.
Time to be taken by Licensee Licensee shall acknowledgethe complaint immediately,if received in person, or within 3 days from the date of receipt if received by post.
If no additional information is required, Licensee shall resolve the complaint and intimate the result to the consumer within 7 days of receipt of the complaint. In case any additional infonnation is required, the same shall be obtained, the issue resolved and result om plaint lodged for accuracy Within 30 days of receiving the complaint, the Licensee shall test the meter and if needed, the· meter shall be replaced within 15 days thereafter.
odged for defective I Within 15 days of receiving the Complaint, the Licensee shall check the meter and if needed, the meter shall be replaced within 15 days thereafter.
uest Time to be taken by Licensee sumer's name due to Change shall be effected in two billing cycles.
ership/occupancy for odged for burnt meter The Licensee shall restore supply within 6 hours upon receipt of complaint bypassing the burnt meter, and new meter shall be provided within 15 days.
nsumer's connection and conversion of services hall give effect to a request for transfer of consumer's connection, change of category and e existing services from Low Tension to High Tension and vice-versa within the following time ter/service line etc.
n Licensee, after verification, shall sanction the reduced load within 30 days after receipt of the application.
mplaint consumer's name to Change shall be effected in two billing cycles.
egory n billing out consumer's bills Subject to the provisions of the Electricity Supply Code:
SL.NO. Nature ofC i. Complaint test of meter ii. Complaint I stuck meter iii. Complaint 1
15. Transfer of Co The Licensee s conversion ofth limits:
Nature of req I. Change of con change in own property ii. Transfer of legal heir iii. Load reductio I\. Change of cat V. Shifting ofme I ..