Hassles with electric bills under prepaid card system
Sunday, 28 July 2019
Prepaid card system replaced the old billing system in Gendaria in the last quarter of 2017. But this has been found to be more expensive and cumbersome. Regular monitoring is required to check whether credit balance is available in the meter so that electric connection is not suspended by the authority.
The position of charges being realised by Hexing authorised agent is, as follows:-
a) Demand charge at Taka 25 per unit of sanctioned power load. If one has 3kw power load, then Tk 75 is realised every month.
b) Hexing company realise Tk.40 per meter ever month along with value added tax (VAT).
c) Customers with sanctioned power load of 10 kw have to pay Tk 300 per month as demand charge and Taka 250 as meter rent pm under the 3 phase power connection along with VAT. This is considered heavy charge.
As far as the meter rent is concerned, there is no indication as to when this will end. Under the previously-used digital meter, Desco did not tell the customers about the cost of meter and how this will be recovered prior to introduction of prepaid card. Customers need to be properly informed about these matters. But no such courtesy was extended to them. The cost of previously used meter should have been determined and customer should have been informed about the recovery or refund procedures.
Card recharging is another problem as the office of Hexing is located on the third floor of a building at Shamibag. Although there are more than five service counters along with a counter for ladies, there is no separate counter for the elderly people. As a result, senior citizens suffer a lot as they have to stand in the long queues for hours after climbing the stairs to the third floor simply to recharge their cards.
Desco/Hexing nominated agency realises extra charge of Tk. 10 per one thousand/five hundred taka. This type of charge should be borne by Hexing/Desco and not by the consumers. Their demand charge should also be reduced in the best interest of the customer.
Abdul Malek
Gendaria, Dhaka-1204.