Power Surge Damaged Your TV Or Fridge? Here’s How To Claim from BESCOM

Power disruptions are part of daily life in Bengaluru. Voltage fluctuations, sudden outages, and neutral failures often occur without warning. While these incidents are usually treated as inconvenience, they can also cause serious damage to household electrical appliances.

What most consumers do not know is that there is a formal compensation mechanism in place for such damage caused by faults originating from the electricity supply network.

BESCOM (Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited) does provide compensation in eligible cases. However, the process is procedural, documentation-heavy, and time-sensitive.

As a result, most claims fail not because they are invalid, but because they are filed incorrectly or too late. This guide explains

how the system works, what compensation is realistically paid, and how to file a claim properly.

Legal Basis for Compensation

Compensation for appliance damage is governed by electricity supply regulations framed under the supervision of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission. These regulations make the electricity distribution company responsible for damage caused by faults on its network.

If appliance damage is proven to have occurred due to voltage fluctuation, power surge, neutral failure, transformer malfunction, or line fault attributable to BESCOM infrastructure, the consumer is eligible to seek compensation.

This is a regulatory provision and not a discretionary benefit.

Types of Appliance Damage That Are Typically Considered

BESCOM considers claims only for sudden electrical damage resulting from supply-side issues. Gradual wear and tear or ageing-related failure is not covered.

Appliances commonly considered include televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, desktops, laptops, set-top boxes, inverters, home UPS systems, ceiling fans, air conditioners, and borewell pump motors.

In apartment complexes, claims have also been processed for lift panels, water pump controllers, and other common electrical systems when the damage affected multiple connections and was linked to a documented grid issue.

Typical Compensation Amounts

Compensation is based on repair cost or depreciated value depending on the age of the appliance and the nature of damage. Full replacement cost is usually not reimbursed.

In Bengaluru, commonly approved compensation ranges are as follows.

Ceiling fans are typically compensated between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. Television circuit board damage is usually covered between Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000. Refrigerator PCB or compressor damage ranges from Rs 4,000 to Rs 20,000. Washing machine motor or PCB repairs are commonly compensated between Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000.

For inverters and UPS systems, approved amounts usually fall between Rs 3,000 and Rs 12,000. Laptop motherboard damage has been compensated in the range of Rs 8,000 to Rs 25,000 depending on age and documentation quality.

There is no officially published compensation ceiling, but claims above Rs 25,000 are examined more closely unless multiple appliances or consumers are involved.

Situations Where Claims Are Commonly Rejected

Claims are often rejected if the complaint is made several days after the incident or if there is no official BESCOM record of voltage fluctuation during the reported time.

Claims also fail if the technician report attributes damage to internal wiring faults, inverter or stabiliser issues, or general electrical failure without clearly linking the cause to external power supply problems.

Very old appliances with no service history or unsupported models are also more likely to be rejected.

Step 1: Register the Power Issue Immediately

As soon as appliance damage is suspected, a complaint must be registered with BESCOM within 24 hours. This can be done by calling the BESCOM helpline at 1912 or through their online complaint system.

The complaint must specifically mention voltage fluctuation, power surge, or neutral failure. This creates a time-stamped record that is later matched with BESCOM grid fault logs. Without this record, compensation claims rarely move forward.

Step 2: Obtain a Technician Damage Report

Before repairing the appliance, a damage report must be obtained from an authorised service centre or a licensed electrician. The report should clearly state that the appliance failed due to an external power surge or voltage fluctuation.

The wording of this report is critical. Generic descriptions weaken claims, while clear attribution to supply-side fault improves approval chances.

Step 3: Submit a Written Complaint to BESCOM

A written compensation complaint must be submitted to the local Assistant Executive Engineer office associated with the consumer’s electricity connection.

The submission should include a complaint letter mentioning consumer number, date and time of incident, details of the damaged appliance, repair estimate or invoice, technician report, recent electricity bill copy, and photographs of the damaged device.

Consumers should submit two copies and retain one acknowledged copy.

Step 4: BESCOM Inspection and Verification

BESCOM may carry out an inspection through a junior engineer or linesman to verify meter condition, service line integrity, and nearby transformer or feeder performance.

If multiple households from the same feeder have reported similar issues, verification and approval tend to move faster.

Apartment associations filing joint representations usually see higher success rates than individual complainants.

Step 5: Compensation Approval and Payment

Once approved, compensation is provided either through cheque payment or adjustment against future electricity bills.

Processing timelines generally range from thirty to ninety days. Regular follow-ups at the local office often reduce delays.

Escalation Options in Case of Delay

If there is no response within ninety days, consumers can escalate the matter to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum under electricity regulations. Continued non-response can be taken to the Electricity Ombudsman.

Escalations usually prompt faster resolution.

Why Most Consumers Never Receive Compensation

Most claims fail due to delayed complaint registration, lack of proper documentation, incorrect technician reports, or early repair without inspection.

The system depends on timely reporting and procedural compliance rather than public awareness.

BESCOM does provide compensation for appliance damage caused by power supply faults, but only when consumers act quickly and follow the process precisely.

The mechanism is regulatory, formal, and paper-driven. It works best for those who document events immediately and treat the incident as a service failure rather than routine inconvenience.

For Bengaluru residents dealing with power-related appliance damage, this process exists quietly in regulation. Accessing it requires discipline, paperwork, and persistence rather than protest.