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A good number of electricity consumers across the country allegedly got exorbitant bills over the past couple of months during the nationwide shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some of them alleged that electricity bill for the month of April was almost double the previous month, which was much higher than the consumption and the expected amount.
While others alleged that they got inflated electricity bills even without consuming electricity.
State minister for energy Nasrul Hamid, Wednesday urged the state-owned power entities to resolve the grievances of consumers immediately.
He also urged them to make their call centres customer-friendly.
Pointing to bill anomalies a resident of Purana Paltan Nurul Akmal said, “I paid electricity bill of around Tk 2,500 in March but for April I got bill of around Tk 4,500.”
“Although I did not stay home in April, I was charged higher bill amount for April compared to March,” Shahjahan Majumder of Jatrabari area alleged.
“We billed 20 per cent higher for April after scrutinising the electricity consumption pattern in sub-stations,” said DESCO chief engineer of East Zone AKM Mohiuddin.
Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd, or DESCO, employees could not go through meter readings in April due to nationwide shutdown, he justified.
The bill will be adjusted in May’s bill, if found any discrepancies, Mr Mohiuddin, who is also DESCO spokesperson added.
When contacted, a senior official of DPDC said the April month’s electricity bill for industries were reduced by 60 per cent and for offices and commercial entities by 45 per cent on an average, after scrutinsing the consumption pattern in substations.
Electricity bill for households, however, seen 10 to 20 per cent hike due to higher consumption during the coronavirus pandemic period.
The DPDC official also assured of adjusting ‘illogical’ bill in May months’ bill to be paid in June.
Speaking to talk officials of power entities, Mr Hamid said the bill plan of the power entities should had been shared with consumers before.
He also enquired the preparedness to face the super cyclone Amphan and stressed for ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to consumers.
Repair and renovation works should be done immediately, if necessary, he pointed out.
He also inaugurated a new 132-33 KV, or kilovolt, electricity substation of Narayanganj during the video conference.
Power Division power secretary Dr Sultan Ahmed, Bangladesh Power Develoipment Board, or BPDB, chairman Md Belayet Hossain, Power Cell Director General Mohammad Hossain, and DESCO Managing Director Bikash Dewan spoke on the occasion.