Shocked consumers lose their cool over TGSPDCL bill payment method

Hyderabad : The recent announcement by Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) to end monthly bill payments through third-party UPI apps like PhonePe, Paytm and Google Pay has left consumers confused. Many complained about the lack of proper publicity regarding the change, which caught them off guard, leading to difficulties when they tried to pay their bills through the TSSPDCL official website or mobile app.

According to TSSPDCL officials, the decision was taken following the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directives. Effective July 1, payments through UPI apps including PhonePe, Paytm, Amazon Pay and Google Pay have been stopped. As per the RBI directives, payments to billers who are not part of the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) will no longer be processed from July. According to the BBPS website, 94 power utilities across the country are part of the payment system; however, TSSPDCL is not yet part of the BBPS.

This sudden decision has created a lot of confusion among consumers. Until June 30, they could pay their bills directly through UPI apps, but this option is no longer available.

“The sudden decision to stop UPI payments for electricity bills came as a surprise to us as there was not enough publicity around the TSSPDCL website and mobile app. I faced difficulties when I tried to pay my bill on the official website of the electricity department. The money was deducted but I did not receive any confirmation,” said Ramesh, a resident of Jeedimetla.

Expressing doubts over the capacity of TSSPDCL website, K Murali, a resident of Begumpet, said, “Can the app or website handle the influx of payments? Like other government apps, this website will soon face issues. Also, why hasn’t the electricity department established a tie-up with BBPS?” “The decision is appreciable and I was able to pay my bill smoothly. However, many consumers feel that they have to pay transaction charges and other fees, which can be avoided. TSSPDCL should inform people about this,” said Sai Teja, a resident of Nizampet. Meanwhile, TSSPDCL officials said, “As per the RBI guidelines, we have stopped third-party payments. We understand that this could be a financial burden on consumers, so we are taking a calculated decision and will find a solution by next week.” Currently, consumers can log in to our official website and make payments using a UPI ID, but they can no longer do so directly through third-party apps.