(1) A licensee or any person duly authorised by a licence may, at any reasonable time, and on informing the occupier of his intention, enter any premises to which electricity is, or has been, supplied by him, of any premises or land, under, over, along, across, in or upon which the electric supply-lines or other works have been lawfully placed by him for the purpose of—
(a) inspecting, testing, repairing or altering the electric supply lines, meters, fittings, works and apparatus for the supply of electricity belonging to the licensee; or
(b) ascertaining the amount of electricity supplied or the electrical quantity contained in the supply; or
(c) removing where a supply of electricity is no longer required, or where the licensee is authorised to take away and cut off such supply, any electric supply-lines, meters, fittings, works or apparatus belonging to the licensee.
(2) A licensee or any person authorised as aforesaid may also, in pursuance of a special order in that behalf made by an Executive Magistrate and after giving not less than twenty-four hours' notice in writing to the occupier,—
(a) enter any premises or land referred to in sub-section (1) for any of the purposes mentioned therein;
(b) enter any premises to which electricity is to be supplied by him, for the purpose of examining and testing the electric wires fittings, works and apparatus for the use of electricity belonging to the consumer.
(3) Where a consumer refuses to allow a licensee or any person authorised as aforesaid to enter his premises or land in pursuance of the provisions of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), when such licensee or person has so entered, refuses to allow him to perform any act which he is authorised, by those sub-sections to perform, or fails to give reasonable facilities for such entry or performance, the licensee may, after the expiry of twenty-four hours from the service of a notice in writing on the consumer, cut off the supply to the consumer for so long as such refusal or failure continues, but for no longer.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 163
Section 163 of the Act empowers a licensee to enter consumer premises to inspect, test, repair, or remove electric lines, meters, and fittings, prescribing reasonable notice requirements except in emergencies.
Licensee inspection squads must always tender a written inspection notice and display official photo identity cards upon arrival; entering premises by force without notice invalidates the search and exposes the utility to civil trespass actions.