Paying power bill became a tad easier in the state from Friday with Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) deciding to allow its consumers make online payment using debit cards of 43 major scheduled and nationalised banks.

Till Thursday, the facility of online payment of electricity bills was available to power consumers having account with State Bank of India (SBI) or Canara Bank. Canara Bank introduced the online power bill payment facility in January. The SBI started it in May.

The decision to extend the online bill payment facility to 43 banks would benefit about 32 lakh power consumers across the state, including 3.25 lakh consumers of the state capital. BSEB director (public relations) H.R. Pandey said: “The online facility will help power consumers deposit electricity bills without standing in queues. Consumers of both rural and urban areas will not have to make any extra payment for availing the service.”

Consumers would have to log on to the state electricity board’s website bsebbills.org to make online payment. Thereafter, they would have to fill in the consumer number and choose division/sub-division. Once that is done, the energy bill’s description would flash on the screen, Pandey said, adding that the consumers would then have to choose the Net banking option for making payment. Thereafter, the consumers would have to choose the bank in which a consumer has account and proceed for payment.

The consumers would get instant receipt of payment, Pandey said, adding that the money would be instantly transferred to the board’s account. The online bill payment facility would also be made available at ICICI and HDFC banks, Pandey said.