Shocking bills, strained budgets: Consumers battle unexpected power charges

Electricity consumers across Bangladesh are facing significant challenges due to inaccurate and inflated billing, leading to widespread confusion and financial hardship.

Reports of continuous overcharging and unjustified arrears have surged, leaving many people, especially in rural areas, feeling exploited and frustrated.

Customers of the Rural Electrification Board (REB) have been particularly affected, with numerous accounts of billing discrepancies and unresolved complaints.

Despite paying their bills on time, many customers receive statements showing outstanding balances. Persistent errors from the REB have only added to consumer frustration.

One such case involves Shamsur Rahman from Ishwarganj, Mymensingh. Despite using the bKash app to regularly pay his electricity bills, he has repeatedly been charged for previous months' bills.

In September of last year, he paid TK224, only to find that subsequent bills included previous months' charges. After filing a complaint, a bill of TK549 was reduced to TK103, highlighting systemic billing errors.

Similarly, Mahabubul Alam and Abdul Mannan, customers under the Mymensingh Zonal Office, have experienced persistent discrepancies. Despite paying their dues, they frequently face erroneous outstanding balances.

Monirul Islam, a consumer of Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco), faced issues with his pre-paid meter. After recharging his meter with Tk3,000, he found his balance reflecting only Tk333.

"I have no previous due electricity bills, and the power company did not provide any explanation for this issue. This is an intolerable experience," thus did Monirul express his frustration.

He further alleged that prepaid meters do not offer a detailed breakdown of deductions, unlike post-paid meters, leaving consumers in the dark about their charges.

Atiqur Rahman, another Dhaka resident, spoke of his ongoing struggles with inflated electricity bills. Using a pre-paid meter, he noted that various charges, including agent fees, VAT, meter charges, and demand charges, significantly reduce his recharged amount.

"I recharge Tk1,000, and after all the deductions, I am left with a fraction of the amount. It's extremely frustrating," Atiqur remarked.

Consumers alleged that filing complaints often leads to a dead end, with officials showing little interest in resolving issues. In some cases, customers have faced hostility and threats of disconnection if they do not pay the disputed amounts.

Prof M Shamsul Alam, senior vice president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh and an energy expert, acknowledged the numerous complaints regarding electricity billing.

He pointed out that distribution companies are pressured to reduce system losses, often resulting in inflated billing to meet targets. "The authorities must address this issue to prevent economic harm to consumers," he urged.

The problem of erroneous billing is not new. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many consumers faced inflated bills, with some receiving bills four to ten times higher than normal.

At the time, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid admitted that approximately 5 lakh consumers had received exaggerated bills due to the practice of generating average bills.

According to media reports, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) had issued instructions to 36 of its offices to generate higher bills, with increases ranging from 10% to 61% depending on the area. This raised questions about accountability and whether company officials would face consequences for overbilling.

Not only DPDC but also 80 rural electricity cooperatives under the REB, Desco and West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited, among others, saw their customers fall victim to inflated bills during the pandemic.

In some cases, West Zone Power Distribution Company customers in three districts were charged over 160% more than usual.

In response to complaints, the High Court has ordered the formation of an independent committee to investigate the issues. The court directed that a report be submitted within a month.

On 12 June, the High Court bench of Justice Md Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice SM Masud Hossain Dolon issued the order. Previously, on 11 June, the High Court had issued a rule asking why there should not be an independent investigation into complaints about prepaid meters.

Senior Secretary of the Power Division Habibur Rahman denied any manipulation of electricity bills, attributing the issues to misunderstandings.

"We are not charging any hidden fees," he explained. Regarding prepaid meters, he said, "Implementing new technology often causes initial confusion. We will explain these misunderstandings to the consumers and the court."