Meter number entered as demand charge, Tk 5.06b bill issued for 235 units

Magura Palli Bidyut Samity issued a bill of Tk 5.068 billion to a residential customer for using just 235 units of electricity.

The unusually high bill was generated because the meter seal number was mistakenly entered in the demand charge field. The bill was corrected after the error came to light.

The bill was issued this month by the Arpara regional office of Magura Palli Bidyut Samity in the name of Mosa. Aleya Khatun, a resident of Kechuadubi village in Maghi Union of Sadar upazila. Aleya Khatun is the wife of Shahidul Islam, a retired teacher from the village.

After the bill was corrected, she paid Tk 1,963 for using 235 units of electricity between 8 August and 8 September.

According to the bill, the meter reading was 395 on 8 September, compared with 160 before 8 August. This means she had used 235 units of electricity during the month.

Against those 235 units, the first bill showed a demand charge of Tk 4.826 billion. Adding VAT of Tk 241.35 million and a meter rental charge of Tk 10 brought the total bill to Tk 5.068 billion.

The bill stated that if it was not paid within the stipulated period, the customer would have to pay Tk 5.310 billion, including a late-payment surcharge.

The family was shocked after seeing the unusually high bill. The bill was issued on 10 September, with Tuesday, 29 September, set as the payment deadline. When the error was noticed a day before the deadline, the electricity department promptly corrected the bill.

The demand charge, VAT and late-payment surcharge were all corrected in the revised bill. The actual electricity bill came to Tk 1,963, or Tk 2,056 including the late-payment surcharge.

The affected customer, Aleya Khatun, told journalists that after receiving the bill, she informed the electricity office, which quickly corrected it. She paid the Tk 1,963 bill within the stipulated time yesterday.

Admitting the error, Md Rezaul Karim, deputy general manager (DGM) of the Arpara regional office of Palli Bidyut, told Prothom Alo that the abnormal bill was generated when the digits of the meter seal number were mistakenly entered in the demand charge field while the customer’s meter was being replaced.

He said the bill was corrected promptly after the customer informed them of the matter. The customer subsequently paid the original bill of Tk 1,963.