A young family took possession of a flat in Whitefield in early 2026 and assumed the builder's temporary site power was their connection. It was not. The temporary supply was in the builder's name at a higher tariff, and until they applied for their own permanent BESCOM connection, every unit they used was billed to someone else's account. Getting the meter into their own name turned out to be a short online process they had simply not known to start.

The short answer. A new electricity connection in Bengaluru is issued by BESCOM, and for a home you apply online for a low tension domestic connection through the official BESCOM portal or the Mithra app. You upload identity and property proof and a wiring completion certificate from a licensed electrical contractor, BESCOM inspects the premises and assesses a security deposit based on your sanctioned load, and the meter is installed once everything checks out. The trade off is time and readiness: the process commonly takes a few working days to a couple of weeks, and it moves fastest when your documents and internal wiring are complete before you apply.

What is a BESCOM connection, and which category do you need?

A BESCOM connection is your metered supply from the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, and a home needs a low tension domestic connection rather than a commercial or high tension one. BESCOM classifies connections by use and load, and an ordinary flat or house falls under the low tension domestic category, which carries the residential tariff. Choosing the right category matters because the tariff, the deposit, and the paperwork all follow from it, and a home billed under a commercial category pays more than it should. When you apply, you declare the purpose as domestic and the sanctioned load you need, which BESCOM then verifies. For most apartments the load is modest, while an independent house with heavier appliances may need a higher sanctioned load, so it is worth estimating your requirement honestly rather than guessing low and running short.

The reason a buyer should act quickly is the Whitefield trap above: relying on a builder's temporary supply means paying a higher rate on someone else's account, so moving the meter into your own name is both cheaper and cleaner. It also matters for your records, because the electricity account in your name becomes another piece of evidence that you occupy and hold the property, useful later for everything from address proof to a smooth resale.

What documents do you need for a new connection?

You need proof of who you are, proof that you hold the property, and proof that the wiring is safely done. In practice BESCOM asks for an identity proof such as Aadhaar, passport, or voter card, an address proof, and a property document such as the sale deed or the khata certificate that shows your claim to the premises. Crucially, it also asks for a wiring or electrical safety completion certificate from a licensed electrical contractor, which certifies that the internal installation is safe to energise. Because the exact list can vary with the property and the load, confirm the current requirements on the official BESCOM portal and keep clean scans ready. For a brand new building, keep the completion or occupancy paperwork handy too, since a permanent connection generally follows the building being lawfully complete.

How do you apply for a new BESCOM connection online?

You apply on the official BESCOM portal or the Mithra app, both of which let you submit the form, upload documents, pay, and track the request. The process is designed to be done without visiting an office until the inspection stage. Work through it in order.

1. Open the official BESCOM portal or the Mithra app and choose the new low tension connection service.
2. Select the domestic category and enter your premises details and the sanctioned load you require.
3. Upload your identity proof, address proof, and property document such as the sale deed or khata.
4. Attach the wiring completion certificate from your licensed electrical contractor.
5. Pay the application fee and submit, noting the application number for tracking.
6. Allow the BESCOM inspection of your premises and load, after which the security deposit is assessed.
7. Pay the assessed deposit and charges, then schedule the meter installation to energise the connection.

Track the application through the portal or app, and respond quickly to any query or shortfall notice, since an unanswered document request is the most common reason a connection stalls.

How is the security deposit and sanctioned load decided?

BESCOM decides the security deposit after verifying your documents and assessing your load, so the exact figure is issued to you rather than fixed in advance. In broad terms, a domestic connection carries a meter security deposit that depends on the meter capacity and an initial security deposit that depends on your sanctioned load, both of which BESCOM calculates during processing. This is why the portal does not quote you a single number up front: a small flat with a modest load will be assessed differently from a large independent house. Rather than rely on a figure you read somewhere, treat the deposit as something BESCOM will compute for your specific load and confirm on the official portal. Estimating your load sensibly at the application stage helps, because asking for far more than you need inflates the deposit, while asking for too little can leave you tripping the supply.

Can a tenant get a BESCOM connection?

Yes, a tenant can get a connection, but usually with the landlord's consent in the form of a no objection certificate. BESCOM provides connections for rented homes where the tenant applies with a valid rental agreement and a no objection certificate from the owner, which protects the property owner while letting the occupant hold the account. For a buyer this cuts two ways. As a new owner, you apply in your own name with your ownership documents and do not need anyone's consent. As a landlord later, you should understand that your tenant may seek a connection or a name change, and that the no objection certificate is how you stay in control of what happens on your property's account. Either way, keep the documentation clean so the account clearly reflects who is responsible.

Temporary, permanent, and other connection situations

Buyers meet several connection scenarios, so it helps to see what each one means.

For a buyer of a resale home, the common path is a name transfer of the existing meter, while a buyer of a brand new home applies for a fresh permanent connection.

What delays a new connection, and how do you avoid it?

Most delays come from incomplete documents, unfinished internal wiring, or an unanswered query during processing. If the wiring completion certificate is missing or the internal installation is not ready for inspection, the connection cannot be energised, so complete the wiring and get the contractor's certificate before you apply. If a property document does not clearly show your claim to the premises, the application can stall, which is why the sale deed and khata should be in order first. Once BESCOM raises a query or a deposit demand, respond promptly, because the clock effectively pauses until you do. And if you are moving into a brand new building, confirm that the building is lawfully complete, since a permanent connection generally follows completion. Preparing these before you click apply is what turns a multi week wait into a matter of days. A simple sequence helps: finish the wiring, get the contractor's certificate, put the property papers in order, and only then apply, so that the inspection finds nothing outstanding and the deposit demand is the last step rather than the first and most frustrating hurdle.

Frequently asked questions

How do you apply for a new BESCOM connection?

You apply online through the official BESCOM portal or the Mithra app by choosing the new low tension connection service, selecting the domestic category, and entering your load. You upload identity and property proof and a wiring completion certificate, pay the fee, allow an inspection, and then pay the assessed deposit before the meter is installed.

What documents are required for a new BESCOM connection?

BESCOM typically asks for an identity proof such as Aadhaar, an address proof, a property document such as the sale deed or khata certificate, and a wiring completion certificate from a licensed electrical contractor. Requirements can vary with the property and load, so confirm the current list on the official BESCOM portal before applying.

How much is the BESCOM security deposit?

The deposit is not a fixed figure. BESCOM assesses it after verifying documents and your load, combining a meter security deposit based on meter capacity with an initial security deposit based on the sanctioned load. Because it depends on your specific requirement, treat any quoted number as indicative and confirm the assessed amount on the official portal.

Can a tenant apply for a BESCOM connection?

Yes. A tenant can apply for a connection for a rented home using a valid rental agreement and a no objection certificate from the property owner. A new owner, by contrast, applies in their own name using their ownership documents and does not need anyone else's consent to hold the account.

Before you energise a new home, make sure the paperwork behind it is sound: see our guides to getting a BBMP e-Khata and the difference between an occupancy certificate and a completion certificate. If you are still shortlisting, our overview of Arvind Sylva in Kodathi shows the kind of ready to occupy checks that matter. Apply through the official BESCOM portal.

Last updated 2026-07-13. PropNewz Team.