Island-wide mobile service to solve electricity consumer complaints

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the electricity sector regulator, together with Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Lanka Electricity Company Private Limited (LECO) has launched the first-ever island wide provincial mobile service to solve the complaints of the electricity consumers with the participation of more than 500 electricity consumers in Southern Province.

The mobile service will be held in all the 09 provinces addressing the electricity complaints of the consumers and offering them with a solution or a procedure then and there, share the regulatory tools with the consumers who seek information, introduce the new services by utility providers, provide solutions for the issues with regard to the way leaves which under the powers of divisional secretaries, provide new electricity connections, stated PUCSL.

“It is a concept of the President and the Prime Minister that public servants should go to the public and serve them.  So, I invite the public to come and receive this service and get solutions for the issues you have”, Somarathna Vidanapathirana, the District Secretary of Galle District said, at the launching ceremony of the mobile service in Southern Province.

According to the statistics of the Southern Province Mobile Service, nearly 500 complaints were received and solutions were provided to all the issues at the premises. Most of the complaints had been on wayleaves, electricity supply to block-out (auctioned) lands, meter shifting, new connections and name changing of the electricity connections.

PUCSL has received 865 of electricity complaints from January to September 2020 compared to 1382 electricity complaints received for the same period 2019. PUCSL has been able to facilitate 1,244 electricity complaints from January to September 2020. The majority of the complaints had been on the issues with regard to wayleave, billing, new connections, meter related and electricity quality related.

The next stop of the mobile service will be Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in the month of November addressing the issues of electricity consumers of North Central Province in Sri Lanka, stated PUCSL.