DPDC clarifies ghost bills

The utility company advised customers not to fall for confusion in a press release issued on Tuesday. It also provided details on various aspects of prepaid meters and billing.

DPDC explained that demand charges are deducted once a month based on the approved load. If a customer skips recharging for any given month, the accumulated demand charges for the uncharged months, alongside the current month, are deducted altogether during the next recharge.

For instance, an LT-A residential customer with a two-kilowatt load skipping recharge for three consecutive months will incur a demand charge of Tk 252 at the rate of Tk 42 per kilowatt. This rule applies to postpaid customers as well.

No meter rent is charged if a customer purchases and installs a prepaid meter at their own expense. However, DPDC-supplied meters incur a monthly rental fee of Tk 40 for single-phase meters and Tk 250 for three-phase meters.

Government-mandated Value Added Tax is applicable on electricity bills. DPDC stated that 5 per cent VAT is deducted from the recharge amount and deposited into the government treasury.

Regarding long tokens of 200 to 220 digits, DPDC reassured customers that there is no need to panic. The extended token is generated only during the first recharge following a tariff update to implement the new rates into the meter. Subsequent recharges will yield standard 20-digit tokens.

To reduce the burden of manual entry, meters are being integrated into an online network. Currently installed AMI prepaid meters require no manual token entry and can be recharged via mobile financial services like bKash and Rocket.

DPDC maintained that there is no technical scope for ghost bills or extra charges on prepaid meters. Electricity unit prices are automatically deducted according to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission rates. However, abnormal billing may occur due to common neutral faults or other technical glitches.

To assist consumers, weekends and daily hours from 4:00 PM to 10:00 AM the following day are designated as friendly hours. Power will not disconnect during these hours even if the balance reaches zero.

The meter will run on negative balance, which will be adjusted during the next recharge. Emergency balance features can also be activated when regular balance runs out.

DPDC advised customers to report any billing discrepancies or technical faults to their nearest customer care center, complaint unit, or hotline at 16116.