Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) has sought to address growing customer concerns over prepaid electricity meters, including deductions for various charges, unusually high bills, so-called “ghost bills”, power disconnections at midnight or during holidays, and lengthy recharge tokens following tariff changes.
In a statement issued on Monday, the state-owned power distributor said it had reviewed the complaints and provided clarification on how prepaid metering and billing work.
Demand charges
DPDC said a monthly demand charge is deducted once against a customer’s approved electricity load.
If a customer does not recharge their prepaid meter for several months, the outstanding demand charges for those months are deducted together when the customer next recharges the meter.
For example, a residential customer with an approved load of 2 kilowatts who does not recharge for three months would be charged Tk252 in demand charges, based on the current rate of Tk42 per kilowatt per month.
DPDC said the demand charge also applies to post-paid electricity customers.
Meter rent
No meter rent is charged when a customer purchases and installs their own prepaid meter, according to DPDC.
However, where a meter is supplied by DPDC, customers are charged Tk40 a month for a single-phase meter and Tk250 for a three-phase meter.
Customers who purchase a replacement meter at their own expense after an existing meter becomes damaged, or who purchase and install their own meter when taking a new connection, are not required to pay meter rent.
VAT
Value-added tax (VAT) is charged on electricity bills at the rate set by the government.
DPDC said 5% VAT is deducted from the amount each time a customer recharges their prepaid meter.
Why some recharge tokens are 200–220 digits long
DPDC said customers may receive unusually long recharge tokens of around 200–220 digits when they make their first recharge after a change in electricity tariffs.
The company said the lengthy token is required because of the technical characteristics of prepaid meters and the multiple tariff slabs used under Bangladesh’s electricity retail pricing system. The token is used to update the new tariff settings in the meter.
However, subsequent recharges require the usual 20-digit token, it said.
Acknowledging that entering a 200–220-digit token manually into keypad meters can be difficult, DPDC said it was taking steps to bring more meters online.
The company is currently installing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) prepaid meters, which do not require customers to enter tokens manually. These meters can be recharged through online platforms, including bKash and Rocket.
No scope for ‘ghost bills’
DPDC said there is no scope for prepaid meters to deduct charges for electricity consumption beyond the amount actually used, rejecting concerns over so-called “ghost bills”.
The cost of electricity is deducted progressively from the prepaid meter according to the retail tariff set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).
DPDC said an unusually high bill should not occur unless there is a technical fault, such as a common-neutral problem or another malfunction affecting the metering system.
No disconnection during holidays or ‘friendly hours’
DPDC also clarified its policy on power disconnections when prepaid balances run out.
It said customers whose prepaid balance reaches zero during weekly holidays or during the designated “friendly hours” — from 4pm until 10am the following day — will not have their electricity disconnected immediately.
During these periods, the meter can continue supplying electricity using a negative balance, with the amount subsequently adjusted from the customer’s next recharge.
Customers can also activate an emergency balance after their energy balance has been exhausted, allowing them to continue using electricity when urgently needed. The amount used through the emergency facility is likewise adjusted during the next recharge.
DPDC said the clarifications were issued to reduce customer confusion and inconvenience surrounding prepaid electricity metering and billing.