Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Aug 2: The State Electricity Department received more than 2.98 lakh consumer complaints during the 2025-26 financial year, averaging over 800 grievances every day, according to quarterly Standards of Performance (SoP) reports submitted to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC).
The complaints ranged from fuse-off calls and power line breakdowns to faulty meters, billing disputes and service-related issues. Out of the total complaints received, nearly 2.97 lakh were resolved, leaving only 315 cases pending as of March 31, 2026.
Fuse-off calls accounted for nearly three-fourths of the total complaints handled by the department. A total of 2,17,963 fuse-related grievances were recorded during the year, making it the largest category of complaints.
The department also received 36,896 complaints related to overhead line and underground cable breakdowns, highlighting challenges in maintaining the power distribution network.
Other complaints included 15,266 requests for transfer of electricity connections and services, 9,422 reconnection applications, 9,237 meter-related complaints and 3,635 billing disputes.
The department also recorded 928 complaints related to scheduled power outages, 424 cases of voltage fluctuations, 317 complaints involving grid substations and power transformer failures, and 227 distribution transformer-related issues.
The highest number of complaints was reported during the July-September quarter, coinciding with the monsoon season, when 84,125 grievances were received across the 10 major service categories.
During the April-June quarter, which witnessed peak summer conditions, the department received 83,024 complaints. The number of grievances declined to 67,347 during October-December and further dropped to 60,359 during January-March 2026.
Of the 315 pending complaints at the end of the financial year, 155 were related to transfer of consumer connections and services, while 22 involved billing issues. The department reported that complaints related to fuse-off calls, line and cable breakdowns, transformer failures, scheduled outages, voltage fluctuations and meter issues were resolved within the timelines prescribed under the SoP regulations.
The reports also stated that no compensation was paid to consumers during any of the four quarters for failure to meet the Guaranteed Standards of Performance.
The SoP reports are part of the Electricity Department's statutory compliance before the JERC and provide a quarterly review of the utility's performance in resolving consumer grievances within the timelines set by the regulatory authority.