The electricity bill of AKM Iqbal Hossain, a resident of Gausnagar in New Eskaton, Dhaka, stood at Tk32,825 for June. His July bill, however, dropped below Tk23,000.
Before the 17 percent electricity price hike in June, his summer electricity bill usually ranged between Tk18,000 and Tk20,000. He believes the latest bill is closer to what would be expected after the tariff adjustment.
A similar experience was reported by Md Faruk of Shyamoli. His summer electricity bill usually remained between Tk2,000 and Tk2,500, but his June bill rose to nearly Tk7,000. In July, it fell to slightly above Tk3,000.
Amid nationwide complaints over unusually high electricity bills in May and June, the Power Division said the increase was caused by higher consumption during hot weather and the new tariff. However, if that explanation was correct, July bills should have remained similarly high. Instead, many customers found their July bills closer to normal levels after the new tariff came into effect.
The issue was not limited to a few households. Across the country, customers complained through social media, news outlets and electricity offices about unusually high bills. Many said they received little more than official explanations involving increased consumption and billing calculations.
On Thursday, TIMES found no customers at several DPDC offices, including Bidyut Bhaban, Dhanmondi and Adabar, while seeking information about electricity bill complaints. This was in contrast to the previous month, when hundreds of customers gathered over June bills.
“Since the increase was relatively small this time, I paid the bill,” said Md Faruk.
He said a bill rising from Tk2,500 to around Tk3,000 after a 17 percent price hike was understandable.
Attempts to contact Power Division Secretary Mirana Mahrukh over why July bills returned closer to normal levels did not receive a response.
Dhanmondi resident Nazmul Islam faced a similar situation. His summer electricity bill usually ranges between Tk4,000 and Tk4,500, but his June bill exceeded Tk9,000.
“I was shocked after seeing the bill. I went to the DPDC office but did not get any solution. Later, I realised repeated visits would only waste my time, so I paid the bill,” he said.
Questioning the government’s explanation, he said, “If the increase was due to higher consumption because of heat and the tariff adjustment, then this month’s bill should also have been two or three times higher. But that did not happen.”
Maruf Hossain of Badda said his June bill rose to Tk2,500 from his usual summer bill of around Tk1,000 to Tk1,200.
“Although I was surprised, I did not worry much because the amount was not very high. This month, the bill has returned to the usual level,” he said.
Following widespread reports of excessive bills, the Power Division held a review meeting on 2 July chaired by Power Division Secretary Mirana Mahrukh with deputy commissioners and officials of electricity distribution companies.
The meeting instructed officials to investigate complaints and resolve them quickly. It also warned that legal action would be taken if negligence or malpractice was proven.
However, distribution companies have not disclosed whether any officials have faced action.
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Chairman Md Rezaul Karim claimed that among nearly five crore customers, meter reading errors occurred only in a few cases.
“After verification, it was found that most complaints were not accurate. Electricity consumption increased, and therefore bills also increased for many customers,” he said.
The power and energy minister also dismissed complaints about unusually high bills, saying officials inspected the home of a journalist who had posted about a doubled bill on Facebook but found no irregularity.
“My people went and checked. He uses two air conditioners, has a refrigerator, uses a blender and many other appliances. Even after all that, if a bill of Tk7,000 is considered excessive, I do not think anywhere in the world it is possible to run so many things with Tk7,000,” he said.
Hotline to lodge complaints, but what happens next?
As complaints increased, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on 29 June instructed distribution companies to monitor the issue and take necessary action.
Customers were advised to lodge complaints with their respective distribution companies or hotlines if they received unusually high bills.
At a review meeting on 2 July, officials were instructed to investigate complaints, correct technical or clerical errors and take legal action if malpractice was found.
However, while complaints continued, the Power Division issued a clarification on 3 August, saying some individuals or groups were spreading “misinformation” about excessive bills.
It claimed that all complaints had been resolved by the Power Division and distribution companies, while urging customers with complaints to submit evidence to the relevant authorities.
M Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), criticised the government’s response, saying it amounted to avoiding responsibility.
“The government is assigning the responsibility of resolving complaints to those against whom allegations have been made, and they are presenting arguments in their own defence. But the complainants and victims are not accepting those explanations,” he told TIMES.
He called for an independent investigation by a third party without conflict of interest.
“The complaints must be reviewed systematically, and the process must be scientifically established. It must be proven scientifically,” he said.
