State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that about Tk 9,000 crore electricity bills have been pending with consumers since the coronavirus outbreak in March last year. 

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has issued a legal notice to eight entities including Power Division asking them to stop collecting illegal arrear electricity bills from consumers from March to May.

Power Secretary Dr Sultan Ahmed on Sunday said that extension of time for allowing delayed payment of electricity bills without surcharge is now under consideration.   He made the disclosure while briefing reporters through a videoconference about the outcome of the investigation into issuing inflated electricity bills by different power distribution companies.   Earlier, the household electricity consumers were allowed to pay their delayed bills of February, March and April until June 30 due to coronavirus outbreak to avoid social contacts.   In the meantime, many consumers received inflated bills and refrained from paying those within their due times hoping that those would be corrected by the bill issuing authority. But still may consumers’ bills were either not corrected or were under the correction process.           Responding to a question on such dilemma, the power secretary said that the issue was discussed with positive outlook with Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).   “We’re trying to extend the time for delayed payment without surcharge. But we have to follow cerrtain process for it,” he told reporters.   He, however, said there no decision as yet on allowing any delayed bill payment without surcharge for commercial and industrial consumers.

Opposing surplus power generation by giving subsidy to rental power plants with public money, BNP on Tuesday alleged that the government is only "crushing" people imposing additional expenditure on them in the name of development.

BNP on Saturday alleged that the government has taken a move to raise the tariffs of electricity and fuel every year to "boost ruling party leaders’ deposits with Swiss banks through plundering".

Power Division will take punitive action within 7 days against staff involved in preparing inflated electricity bills.

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (Berc) has asked power distribution companies not to charge any extra charge for delayed payment of electricity bills due to the coronavirus.