How to Pay Your BESCOM Electricity Bill Online (Karnataka)

For most homes in and around Bengaluru, the monthly electricity bill comes from BESCOM, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company. Paying it used to mean a trip to a collection centre and a wait in line. Now you can pay your BESCOM electricity bill online in a couple of minutes, from your phone, at any hour. This guide shows you how to do it safely on the official portal, how to find the numbers you need, and how to avoid the “your power will be disconnected tonight” scams that trick thousands of people across Karnataka.

Before you start: find your account number

To pay online you need one key detail from your bill:

• Your account ID, and/or
• Your RR number (revenue register number).

Both are printed on your BESCOM bill, usually near the top alongside your name and address. Keep an old bill handy the first time; after that, the portal or your payment app can remember the account for you. If you have thrown away the paper bill, do not worry — you can usually retrieve your details on the official portal using your registered mobile number.

Step 1 — Go to the official BESCOM portal

Type the address yourself: bescom.karnataka.gov.in. Do not reach the payment page by tapping a link in an SMS or WhatsApp message, however official it looks. Real Karnataka government utilities sit on the karnataka.gov.in domain. A link that opens a page ending in .com, or that asks you to install an app before you can pay, should be treated as a scam. As with any money task online, the safest habit is to reach the site yourself rather than through a link someone handed you.

Step 2 — Open the online bill payment option

On the BESCOM site, look for the online bill payment or “pay your bill” option. You do not usually need to create a full account just to make a one-time payment — the account ID or RR number is enough to pull up your dues. If you pay every month, though, creating an account or saving the biller in your bank app makes future payments a two-tap job.

Step 3 — Enter your account ID / RR number

Type in your account ID or RR number exactly as printed. The portal displays the current amount due, the billing period and your name. Check that the name and address match yours before paying — this simple step stops you from paying a stranger’s account by mistake, which is surprisingly easy to do if you mistype a single digit.

Step 4 — Pay and save the receipt

Choose your payment method — UPI, net banking or card. With UPI you approve the payment inside your own app by entering your UPI PIN there; you never type your PIN on the BESCOM website itself. Once the payment is confirmed, download or screenshot the receipt and note the transaction reference. Do not close the page until you see a clear confirmation. A saved receipt is your proof if there is ever a question about whether the bill was paid.

Ways to pay — and how they compare

Whatever you choose, the golden rule is the same: reach the payment through an app or address you already trust, never through a link someone sent you.

What you should never do

• Never pay via a link in an unexpected SMS or WhatsApp. BESCOM does not send urgent “pay now or lose power” links to personal numbers.
• Never enter your UPI PIN to “receive” a refund or to “verify” a payment. You only enter a PIN to send money. Our guide on why you never enter a UPI PIN to receive money explains this trick in full.
• Never share the OTP from your bank or UPI app with anyone who calls, even if they claim to be from the electricity office.

The “electricity disconnection” scam — how it works

One of the most common frauds in Karnataka right now is the fake disconnection message. It usually arrives late in the evening and reads something like: “Dear customer, your electricity will be disconnected tonight because your bill is not updated. Call this number immediately.” When you call, the fraudster sounds helpful, then asks you to install an app or pay a small amount through a link. That app or link lets them see your screen or drain your account.

Here is how to stay safe:

1. Do not panic and do not call the number in the message.
2. Open bescom.karnataka.gov.in yourself and check whether you actually owe anything.
3. If in doubt, use the official BESCOM helpline printed on your bill.
4. Never install a screen-sharing or “support” app because a caller asked you to.

Why does this scam work so well? Because it combines two pressures: a fear (losing power) and a deadline (tonight). Any message that pushes both at once should make you slow down, not speed up. A genuine utility gives you notice on your bill, not a midnight ultimatum from an unknown number.

If you have already paid a scammer

If you clicked a link, installed an app, or paid a fraudster, act quickly and calmly. Call the cyber-crime helpline 1930 as soon as you can, and tell your bank so they can watch or freeze the account. Uninstall any “support” app the caller made you install, and change your banking and UPI passwords from a device you trust. Acting within the first hour gives you the best chance of limiting the loss, though recovery is never guaranteed. The calmer and faster you move, the better your odds.

Paying for elderly relatives

Online payment is a real gift for families: you can pay a parent’s or grandparent’s BESCOM bill from your own phone using their account ID. It saves them a trip and keeps them away from queues. If you set this up for a senior, also take a minute to warn them about the disconnection scam, because they are the most common targets. Our guide to scam calls for senior citizens is written to be shared, and a two-minute conversation now can prevent a painful loss later.

If a payment does not show up

Sometimes money leaves your account but the bill still shows as unpaid because the systems have not synced yet. Do not rush to pay again. Keep the debit message and transaction reference, wait a day or two, and if it still has not updated, contact BESCOM through the official portal or helpline with your account number and the transaction details. Genuine payments almost always reconcile on their own, and paying twice only creates a refund headache.

A quick monthly habit that keeps you safe

Set a small routine: pay early in the month through your trusted app or the official portal, save the receipt, and ignore any message that tries to rush you. Combine that with the basics in our UPI safety rules for PhonePe and Google Pay, and paying your electricity bill becomes one of the safest, easiest things you do online.

This is general guidance and BESCOM’s own processes and charges can change, so always confirm the current details on bescom.karnataka.gov.in. If you also want to reduce your bill itself, read our companion guide to the Gruha Jyothi free-electricity scheme, which can bring eligible home bills down to zero within the scheme limits.