Prepaid meter codes: balance, emergency balance and every code by meter
Pick your electricity company and meter to see its exact codes — balance, emergency balance, units used, last recharge — copied from each company's own manual.
The short version
- Balance on most keypad meters: 801 + Enter — but NESCO, Linyang and Inhe meters differ
- Emergency balance: 00 on DESCO and Palli Bidyut, 99999 on NESCO
- Codes follow the meter's brand, not the company — so pick your meter below first
Find the codes for your meter
Step 1 · Your electricity company
Step 2 · Which meter do you have?
How to tell: number keys (0–9) mean a keypad meter; a slot for a card means a card meter. The brand is printed on the front.
Every meter side by side
Balance and emergency codes at a glance
The four codes people need most, for every meter with an official list. Note the highlighted row — on that meter 801 is not the balance.
| Company · meter | Balance | Emergency on | Units this month | Last recharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DESCO · Keypad (button) meterSingle & three phase · keypad | 801 | 00 | 814 | 817 |
| DESCO · TSS smart cardSingle phase · card | 5 | insert card | 8 | — |
| DESCO · TSS smart cardThree phase · card | 5 | insert card | 9 | — |
| DESCO · Hexing smart cardSingle phase · card | 1 (C.51.0) | insert card | 2 (1.9.0) | — |
| DESCO · Hexing smart cardThree phase · card | 1 (C.51.0) | insert card | 2 (1.9.0) | — |
| NESCO · WasionSingle & three phase · keypad | 037 | 99999 | 800 | 200 |
| NESCO · Star InstrumentSingle & three phase · keypad | 37 | 99999 | 400 | 200 |
| DPDC · Keypad meterSingle & three phase · keypad | 801 | — | 814 | — |
| DPDC · Inhemeter smart cardSingle phase · card | 000 | — | 001 | — |
| DPDC · Inhemeter smart cardThree phase · card | c.50.1 | — | 15.9.0 | — |
| DPDC · Hexing smart cardSingle & three phase · card | C.51.0 | — | 1.9.0 | — |
| DPDC · TSS smart cardSingle & three phase · card | 5 | — | 8 | — |
| BPDB · HexingSingle & three phase · keypad | 801 | 811 / 810 | 814 | 817 |
| BPDB · InheSingle phase · keypad | 00 | 89898686 | 01 | 31 |
| BPDB · InheThree phase · keypad | C501 | 89898686 | — | CL401 |
| BPDB · LinyangSingle & three phase · keypad | 019 | 809 | 803 | 200 |
| BPDB · EasternSingle & three phase · keypad | 010 | — | 047 | 050 |
| Palli Bidyut · Keypad meterSingle & three phase · keypad | 801 | 00 | 814 | 817 |
Emergency & friendly hours
What happens when the balance runs out
DESCO
Emergency: Keypad meter: type 00 and press Enter. Card meter: insert the card.
Friendly hours: No cut-off from 4 pm to 10 am, or at any time on weekends and government holidays. Recharge before 10 am on the next working day.
Source: DESCO prepaid FAQsNESCO
Emergency: Type 99999 and press the blue button or Enter. You get up to ৳200 on a single-phase meter, ৳500 on three-phase.
Friendly hours: Sunday–Thursday from 4 pm to 11 am next day, plus Friday, Saturday and government holidays all day.
Source: NESCO smart pre-payment meter user guide 2023BPDB
Emergency: Depends on the meter brand: Hexing 811 or 810, Inhe 89898686, Linyang 809.
Source: BPDB Pre-Payment Metering System — Meter Short CodePalli Bidyut
Emergency: Type 00 and press Enter (Dhaka PBS-1 keypad meters).
Source: Dhaka Palli Bidyut Samity-1 — prepaid meter short code listWhat the screen is telling you
Prepaid meter errors and messages, decoded
Wrong token
Check the 20 digits against your SMS or receipt and enter it again.
Hexing
Token already used
This token is already in the meter. Check the balance (it was probably credited) before calling.
Hexing
Card sequence does not match the meter
Contact your distribution office.
Hexing
Card not inserted properly
Take the card out and push it in fully.
Hexing
Card damaged, or the meter cannot read it
Contact your distribution office.
Hexing
Wrong type of card
Hexing
Card sequence does not match the meter
Contact your distribution office.
Inhemeter
Token is not the right type
Check the 20 digits against your SMS or receipt and enter it again.
Inhemeter
Error in the token data
Check the 20 digits against your SMS or receipt and enter it again.
Inhemeter
Token already used
This token is already in the meter. Check the balance (it was probably credited) before calling.
Inhemeter
Recharge would exceed the meter's maximum credit
Use some electricity first, then enter the token.
Inhemeter
Token accepted
Inhemeter
Meter fault
Contact your distribution office.
Inhemeter
Running on friendly hours
Inhemeter
Running on emergency balance
Recharge soon — it is deducted from your next recharge.
Inhemeter
Meter has been tampered with
Contact your distribution office.
Inhemeter
Low balance
Recharge.
Inhemeter
No balance
Recharge, or start emergency balance.
Inhemeter
Phase sequence error
Contact your distribution office.
Inhemeter
Disconnected: no credit
Recharge.
TSS
Disconnected: overload
Switch off heavy appliances (AC, iron, water heater) and wait for the meter to reconnect.
TSS
Disconnected: tamper
Contact your distribution office.
TSS
Wrong token
Check the 20 digits against your SMS or receipt and enter it again.
TSS
Token already used
This token is already in the meter. Check the balance (it was probably credited) before calling.
TSS
Meter cannot read the card
Contact your distribution office.
TSS
DESCO meters: the ▼ S1–S8 markers under the display
On DESCO meters a green Credit light means enough balance; below ৳100 it turns red and the alarm sounds every so often. If the Alarm/Tampered light is red and the power is off, contact DESCO quickly. Any key silences the alarm.
Source: DESCO smart pre-payment meter leaflet (May 2025)Tokens
Entering a recharge token without errors
- A token is 20 digits. Type all 20, then press Enter.
- If you received more than one token, press Enter after each before starting the next — NESCO's receipts say exactly this.
- Check the balance before entering a token. If it is negative, that is deducted from the recharge first.
- A smiley (☺) means the recharge went in; a sad face (☹) means it did not — match the message above.
Ways to recharge and each company's minimum: pay bill & recharge.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Where these codes come from
Every code is copied from the company's own publication, as printed — not from blogs or videos, which contradict each other. Last checked 1 October 2026.
Read next
Prepaid recharge calculator
Enter what you recharge and your load to see how much reaches the meter as energy, and why the first recharge of the month always buys less.
Pay bill & recharge
Pay your bill or top up a prepaid meter the easy way — which apps work for your company, the fees and minimum recharge, and how to punch in your token.
Prepaid meter guide
A practical guide to prepaid meters in Bangladesh — how recharge codes work, the 0.5% prepaid rebate, switching from postpaid, and what to do when the meter behaves strangely.
Hotlines & complaints
Who to call for a power cut, a wrong bill, or an emergency — the unified 16999 line, every distributor's own hotline, and the exact escalation ladder when a complaint isn't resolved.