Md Saiful.Islam, Barishal

Prepaid electricity meters, introduced to curb system losses and streamline billing, have instead become a major source of harassment and suffering for consumers in Barisal city due to prolonged server glitches and technical snags.

Over the last 36 hours ending Wednesday , severe server failure left numerous households without power, triggering widespread outrage. Disgruntled residents have urged the government to scrap the prepaid system and reinstall traditional postpaid meters.

Zakir, a resident of Matu Ranat Public Lane, said his electricity supply was cut off after his balance ran out, but he could not recharge the meter as the central server remained down. Another consumer from Natun Bazar, Shamim, said his family—including his ailing parents and young children—spent two consecutive days in darkness after failing to top up the meter despite repeated attempts.

Consumers also alleged a complete lack of transparency in financial deductions, describing it as an institutionalised form of ghost billing. They claimed that a large chunk of their recharged amount vanishes instantly to cover automated deductions for demand charges, VAT, and a permanent meter rent, even though they purchased the devices with their own money.

The emergency credit feature has also drawn sharp criticism. When users log an emergency balance during a crisis, the entire credit plus accumulated monthly fees are deducted at once during the next recharge. This often leaves the consumer with little to no active balance, causing widespread confusion and anger.

The digital infrastructure itself remains heavily flawed. Consumers noted that even when money is successfully deducted from mobile wallets like bKash, Nagad, or Rocket, the vending servers frequently fail to sync, failing to restore electricity. The vulnerability of consumers doubles on weekends and public holidays when retail recharge points remain closed.

Furthermore, the system regularly generates token codes ranging from 20 to over 100 digits. Manually inputting these extensive sequences into the wall-mounted meters is an arduous task, especially for the elderly and less-educated. A single error invalidates the entire process, forcing users to restart the sequence.

Unlike the traditional analog system, which offered a grace period for bill payments, prepaid meters immediately cut off the power supply when the balance reaches zero. The faint warning alarms on the meters are rarely audible indoors, resulting in sudden blackouts during critical moments, such as student examinations or when patients are on medical oxygen support.

When meters malfunction or LCD screens blur, consumers are forced to wait for days due to the sluggish response of power office linesmen. Frustrated by the total lack of accountability, Barishal residents demanded that the authorities either make the system fully automated and transparent or revert immediately to postpaid meters.