Palli Bidyut’s 240-digit recharge tokens irk prepaid meter customers

Customers of the Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Samity expressed frustrations over receiving 240-digit token numbers which they have to press to recharge their residential prepaid meters after the recent power tariff hike in the country.

Generally, in the case of recharging residential meters, consumers get a 20-digit token after paying the recharge amount.

Palli Bidyut officials said the problem has occurred due to the recent hike in the power tariff due to technical reasons. It will not happen again until another power tariff changes.

Earlier, customers faced the same problem last year when the government increased electricity prices.

The issue has already triggered criticism on social media as many customers claimed to suffer while pressing 240 digits to recharge their meters.

Shamima Akhter from the Bank Town area of Savar told The Business Standard, "This month I got a 240-digit token. At first, I made a mistake while pressing the number. Then I had to repeat pressing all the digits again."

"Had I made a mistake another time, my meter would have been locked," she added.

Salahuddin Khan Noim, general secretary of the Savar Citizens Committee, said, "Everything in the country is going digital now. But still a customer needs to press 240 digits to recharge meters. This is annoying."

Rafiqul Islam, director (technical) of the System Operation Department, Bangladesh Palli Bidyut Samity, said, "This is a technical issue. We are gradually working to bring all the meters online. After that, the customers will not have to face this problem anymore."

Molla Md Abud Kalam Azad, general manager of the Dhaka Palli Bidyut Samity-3, told TBS, "We have already published on our website and social media about how customers can recharge the meters by pressing the 240 digits."