Utilities (gas, water, electricity, refuse) in Bangalore

Expats often report that shortages of electricity, water and gas are just part and parcel of life in India. Luckily, in Bangalore a lack of utility service provision isn’t as much of a standard peril as elsewhere, but still expats should be prepared to deal with power cuts, especially in summer, and water that’s not potable. 
 

As a general note, payment for utilities must be done at the end of the month, and can often be done via respective online portals. 
 

Usually employees who work for utility service providers are friendly and helpful, and most can understand and converse well in English. Networking with both locals and those in the expat community is useful for getting information about utility provision and getting things done with ease. 
 

Bangalore has expanded tremendously in the last 15 years, and there is ever increasing demand for electricity. While electricity is not privatised, hence the cost of the utility has not changed much in recent years, powers cuts are frequent in summer, and can last as long as two hours each day. Thus, it’s always suggested expats choose accommodation with power back-up.
 

All things considered though, the state of electricity provision in Bangalore is better than in many other Indian cities, and most of the gated communities have a back-up power generator – which means that expats who live in these neighbourhoods won’t be affected by inconvenient load shedding.
 

The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) regulates and supplies electricity for the city. All homes come with an electric connection, and the landlord is responsible for making sure this connection is present before renting the property. However, expats need to make sure that there are no dues leftover from the previous tenants before they sign their lease. For the most part, expat tenants will need to pay their own monthly electricity bill. 
 

If living in an independent house, one needs to buy a generator in case of a power outage. The electricity bill can be anywhere from INR 1,000 per month for a bachelor flat up to INR 20,000 per month for a family house, depending on your usage. 
 

As the Bangalore climate is moderate throughout the year, most people do not feel the need to use either heaters or air conditioners. As a result, the electricity bill can be very nominal.
 

The voltage used in India is 220V and 60Hz, but it can fluctuate between 200V and 280V. For this reason, it is advisable to use stabilisers for each separate household appliance. For expats bringing appliances from overseas, it may be necessary to also use a voltage converter. Both converters and stabilisers are available from Croma.  
 

Water provision is problematic in Bangalore. As India’s third largest city in terms of population, demand for water severely outstrips supply, and has produced an acute shortage of water. 
 

There have been massive infrastructural expansions made in recent years geared toward solving this problem, but much still needs to be done to meet the needs of the growing populace.
 

Many residential complexes have their own bore wells, but many still need to buy water from private agencies, as the amount of water supplied by the Bangalore Water Supply Board and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is not sufficient. 
 

Tap water is not fit to drink in Bangalore, and expats typically buy bottled water, or get water purification systems installed. Ion Exchange and Eureka Forbes have water treatment systems which use reverse osmosis to purify water, and they cost around INR 20,000. 
 

Expats should consider this cost when looking for housing, or when negotiating their contract with their employer.

Water bills are generally not paid by the tenant, but are rather paid by the association if living in a gated community, or by the owner if living in an independent house. 
 

In Bangalore, many cooking stoves or burners operate via gas. However, there is no gas supply via pipeline in the city, and hence individual gas connection and gas cylinders needs to be arranged. Some landlords provide their own gas connection to the tenants, otherwise you'll need to organise a new connection.

If you're moving from another city in India the easiest thing to do is to transfer your gas connection to your new home. Otherwise you can apply for a new connection though a gas agency office nearby. You'll need to provide identification and proof of residence and complete some paperwork. Depending on the company, it may take up to several months to get it done. A regulator, a gas cylinder and a special hose are provided.
 

Spic Jyothi claims to provide a gas connection within few hours, but remember that the cost of each cylinder is almost twice as much as those from other agencies like Bharat Gas or Indane.
 

Usually, each household has two gas cylinders so that when one runs out, the other cylinder can be used while you order a replacement. 
 

There are several cable television operators in the city, but TataSky is most widely used. Depending on the package chosen, the monthly rental is approximately INR 350. Other operators are Hathway and Dish TV. TataSky has comprehensive web site, and packages can be bought and upgraded online. 
 

In gated housing complexes garbage is usually separated into organic waste (in black bags) and inorganic (in white bags). The garbage is collected from outside the house by the housekeeping department. 
 

If living in the independent house, garbage collecting trucks come in the morning, around 10am.
 

Internet speed is quite good in India, which comes as no surprise given Bangalore’s status as an IT hub. Airtel and BSNL are the major providers of mobile services, landlines and Internet connections. 
 

To apply for a broadband connection expats will need to pay a deposit and a one-time installation fee, and provide a copy of their lease agreement and their ID. Monthly charges depend on the package, and approximately cost around INR 2000. Installation is usually done seven to 10 days from the point of contact. You can also get a wireless Internet data card through one of these companies.
 

Internet or cyber cafés usually charge around INR 10 per hour.
 

In the city petrol costs around INR 70 per litre, or INR 50 per litre for diesel. As government has heavily subsidised diesel prices, most people prefer diesel cars in India. 
 

Gas stations in Bangalore can be operated by government or private institutions. There are attendants at each station, and the option of self-service is not available. Payments are mainly accepted in cash. 
 

Getting a phone line in Bangalore is not difficult, as the competition is high. Airtel, Reliance, BSNL, Tata, and Hutch are few of the wireless and fixed line connection providers. Getting a landline is fast and easy, and just requires the lease agreement and proof of ID.
 

Local phone calls in India are very cheap, and all incoming calls are free. On an average, domestic calls cost INR 1 per minute, and international calls to the EU and the US cost around INR 6 to INR 10 per minute. 
 

These days, cell phones are cheap, easily available and quite economic to use. Hutch, Airtel, Reliance, Tata and Spice are the major service providers, offering prepaid as well as postpaid cards.
 

Those who live in gated communities will find they have access to many internal services, like electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and gardeners. Those who live in flats or in independent houses can find local service providers via online portals, such as Sulekha.com and Justdial.com.