Prepaid meter recharge deductions in Bangladesh (2026)

You recharge ৳1,000, look at the meter, and see considerably less money available. Before assuming the payment has gone missing, check the recharge receipt: part of that payment may have settled VAT, monthly demand charge, meter rent or electricity already used on emergency credit.

In the worked example below, a ৳1,000 recharge provides ৳832.92 of new electricity credit. It assumes a residential LT-A connection, 2 kW sanctioned load, a utility-supplied single-phase meter, one month's unpaid fixed charges and no debt. Your own result changes with those details.

Where does a ৳1,000 prepaid meter recharge go?

Start with the amount credited as a utility recharge, excluding any separate payment-provider fee. Using DESCO's published vending formula, the example breaks down like this:

The reconciliation is ৳1,000 − ৳47.62 − ৳84 − ৳40 + ৳4.54 = ৳832.92. This is new energy credit from the transaction. The balance you actually see also depends on any previous positive or negative balance and electricity used before you check it.

What are the prepaid meter charges per month?

Demand charge follows your approved load

For an LT-A residential connection, the June 2026 BERC tariff notice lists a demand charge of ৳42 per kW per month. At 2 kW, that is ৳84. The load is the sanctioned capacity recorded on your account; it is separate from the number of units you use.

A low-use month can still carry that fixed charge. Check the account's load and tariff category before comparing deductions with a neighbour's meter. A shop on LT-E uses a different demand rate. Our demand-charge guide explains how to check the load on your bill.

Meter rent depends on the meter arrangement

DESCO's booklet lists ৳40 a month for a utility-supplied single-phase meter and ৳250 for a three-phase meter. It also says monthly rent is not taken when the customer purchases the meter. Confirm the recorded ownership arrangement with your distributor if rent appears inconsistent. See the meter-rent section on printed page 11.

VAT applies to each recharge

The monthly fixed charges and VAT have different timing. NESCO's manual says VAT is deducted on each vending transaction. For a VAT-inclusive ৳1,000 recharge at 5%, the VAT component is ৳1,000 × 5 ÷ 105 = ৳47.62. Simply subtracting 5% of ৳1,000 would give ৳50 and would not reproduce the published vending method.

The rebate adds a small amount back

Section 9 of the 2024 national notification sets a 0.5% prepaid rebate on the eligible net bill excluding VAT. DESCO's vending table expresses the calculation as (recharge − VAT − meter rent) × 0.5 ÷ 100.5. In this example, that is (৳1,000 − ৳47.62 − ৳40) × 0.5 ÷ 100.5, rounded to ৳4.54. It is not a flat ৳5 bonus on every ৳1,000 payment.

Why the same recharge can give different amounts

A later recharge in the same month carries less fixed cost

Once that month's demand charge and rent have been collected, a later top-up does not pay those same monthly charges again. VAT still applies, and any new debt or adjustment remains separate. With the example's monthly charges already paid and no debt, a second ৳1,000 recharge supplies ৳957.12. NESCO confirms the once-per-month demand-charge rule in FAQ 4.

Skipping two months can leave three months to settle

Suppose your last recharge was in August, you made none in September or October, and you recharge in November. If all three months' fixed charges remain unpaid, November's transaction carries September, October and November: 3 × ৳84 demand + 3 × ৳40 rent = ৳372. Under the same formula, ৳1,000 then leaves ৳584.52. Check the months listed on the ledger; being away from home does not by itself remove charges on an active account. The manual's missed-month example explains this collection pattern.

Emergency credit is electricity you still have to pay for

If your meter balance was −৳150 before the recharge, the first example's ৳832.92 leaves ৳682.92 after settling that debt. BPDB's prepayment guide explains that negative balances from emergency or friendly-hours use are recovered from the next recharge. The national prepaid rules say emergency balance carries no interest. Keep the debt repayment separate from VAT and monthly charges when checking the arithmetic.

Will several small recharges save money?

Splitting a payment does not remove a monthly charge that is due. In our example, a first ৳500 top-up provides ৳354.36, and a later ৳500 top-up provides ৳478.56. Together they provide ৳832.92, the same as one ৳1,000 recharge at the rounding used here.

A payment channel's service fee can change that comparison. The OK Wallet FAQ, for example, lists separate fees for prepaid electricity payments. Compare the total wallet debit with the utility recharge amount on the receipt before treating the difference as a meter deduction.

What is the minimum recharge for a prepaid meter?

Check the selected distributor and payment channel. OK Wallet's own FAQ lists a ৳300 minimum for its Palli Bidyut prepaid service and no minimum for its BPDB prepaid service. Those are that provider's published rules, not a nationwide minimum for every meter or app.

There is also a separate budgeting question: how much must you pay to leave usable electricity credit after deductions? In this example, one month's demand and rent alone total ৳124, before VAT or any debt. A small payment may therefore leave little or no new credit. Use the prepaid recharge calculator with your load, meter phase, unpaid months and negative balance before deciding on a top-up.

How to check an unexplained deduction

1. Match the account and transaction. Save the meter or customer number, transaction ID, time, receipt and recharge amount. Separate any app fee from the amount sent to the distributor.
2. Read the charge lines. Check sanctioned load, tariff category, demand charge, meter rent, VAT, rebate and adjustments. Ask which months each fixed charge covers.
3. Record the balance before and after. Note a negative opening balance and any electricity used between readings. Compare the change with the receipt's energy credit.
4. Confirm delivery. A successful payment and a token or credit reaching the meter are separate things to check. DESCO directs customers to Recharge history in its prepaid portal and FAQ to check delivery status. Follow the instructions for your own keypad, card or smart-meter system.
5. Request a reconciliation if it still does not add up. Ask the distributor for a vending ledger identifying the charge, period and amount. For missing credit, keep the payment-provider receipt too. Use our official complaint contacts or billing-correction guide to take the next step.

A useful complaint is specific: “I recharged ৳1,000 on this date. The receipt lists these deductions, my opening balance was this amount, and this much credit appeared. Please explain the remaining difference.” That gives the office a transaction it can trace.

Other questions about prepaid deductions

Does recharging again reset my household tariff slab?

A new payment does not restart the month's consumption count. The residential calculation follows monthly use; DESCO's FAQ on slab adjustments describes the monthly counter. For current unit rates, use the LT tariff schedule, since older FAQs can show superseded prices.

How many units will the remaining balance buy?

Energy credit is an amount in taka; a unit is 1 kWh. How many units that credit buys depends on your category and, for household slabs, how much you have already used that month. Dividing the remaining money by the lowest unit rate can overstate what is available.

Does a lower balance mean my meter is faulty?

The balance alone cannot establish that. First reconcile the receipt, unpaid months, debt and consumption. If an unexplained difference remains, ask the distributor to investigate it and provide a written explanation. The normal deduction rules should help you check a bill, not dismiss a valid complaint.