Verified: 23 April 2026 01:30 am IST
Industry: Electricity Distribution (State PSU)
Jurisdiction: Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur & South Bihar, India
Primary Regulator: Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC)
Important Safety Warning: Beware of the massive “Disconnection SMS Scam.” Scammers frequently send SMS or WhatsApp messages stating: “Dear Consumer, your electricity power will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 PM because your previous month’s bill was not updated. Please call our officer immediately.” This is a scam. Authentic SBPDCL staff will never send alerts from a personal 10-digit mobile number, nor will they ask you to download screen-sharing apps or pay via personal UPI links.
Level 1: Customer Support (Initial Complaint)
How to complain: Register your complaint (power outages, billing issues, transformer faults) directly via the SBPDCL official web portal, the official Suvidha App, or by calling the 24/7 toll-free centralized helpline at 1912 or 1800-202-2813. For immediate outage reporting and billing services, you must use the official SBPDCL WhatsApp chatbot by sending a message to +91-9031683592.
Availability: The 1912 helpline, Suvidha App, WhatsApp chatbot, and emergency outage reporting operate 24x7. Official Customer Care Centers and subdivisional offices operate Monday to Saturday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM IST.
Timeline: Standard service requests must be acknowledged immediately with a registration/complaint number. SBPDCL aims to resolve general supply issues within 24 to 48 hours and standard billing complaints within 7 to 15 working days.
Source Verification: SBPDCL Official Contact & Complaint Portal
Level 2: Internal Grievance Redressal (Executive Engineer / Superintending Engineer)
Who to contact: If Level 1 support fails or your ticket is closed without a fix, you must formally escalate to the Internal Grievance mechanism. You must submit a written complaint to the Executive Engineer (XEN) or Superintending Engineer (SE) of your specific SBPDCL circle (such as Patna, Ara, Aurangabad, Bhagalpur, Biharsharif, Munger, Jamui, Sasaram, or Gaya).
Timeline: Under BERC guidelines, the Divisional or Circle officers must resolve escalated billing and supply disputes within 15 to 30 days.
Source Verification: SBPDCL Telephone & Escalation Directory
Level 3: Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF)
Authority: Do not approach the BERC commission directly. If the internal officers reject your claim or fail to resolve the issue, you must file a formal petition with the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF). SBPDCL has established 11 dedicated CGRFs at the Circle Level specifically to act as quasi-judicial bodies for consumer electricity disputes across South Bihar.
Portal/Contact: You must submit your grievance in writing or via email directly to the Chairperson of your respective Circle’s Forum. For example, the Central Patna CGRF is located at PESU (East) 3rd Floor, DCR cum MRT, Building Campus of ESC Patna, Road No. 1, R. Block, Patna – 800001 (cgrfpesueast@gmail.com).
Timeline: The CGRF is legally mandated to hear the case and issue a formal order within 45 to 60 days of receiving your petition.
Source Verification: SBPDCL CGRF Directory & Locations
Level 4: Vidyut Lokpal (Electricity Ombudsman)
Pre-Litigation: Do not use the e-Jagriti consumer court portal, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), or CPGRAMS. Standard consumer courts and central portals do not have jurisdiction over statutory electricity disputes unless the Ombudsman process is completely exhausted.
Court/Arbitration: If you are aggrieved by the final order of the CGRF, or if they fail to issue an order within the stipulated time, you must file an appeal representation to the Electricity Ombudsman appointed by the BERC. The office is located at Ground Floor, Vidyut Bhawan-II, B.S.E.B. Campus, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg (Bailey Road), Patna - 800021. You can email them at eoberc@bihar.gov.in.
Timeline: You must file the representation to the Ombudsman within 30 days from the date of receiving the CGRF order.
Source Verification: Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) Contact Details
Community Action: Is SBPDCL demanding massive arrears for a faulty meter, or are you looking for the correct template to file a case with the Patna CGRF? Reply below (do not share your passwords, bank details, or your exact Consumer IDs), and our citizen.complainthub.org community will point you to the right resources!