How to pay or recharge your electricity bill
See where you can pay, what bKash charges, the five steps, and what to do when a payment or token does not arrive.
Where you can pay
You can pay a postpaid bill or recharge a prepaid meter from a phone. These are the channels with a published biller list or a company page.
| Channel | What you can pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bKash app or *247# | DESCO, DPDC, NESCO, BPDB (including BPDB Sylhet prepaid), Palli Bidyut and West Zone, prepaid and postpaid | bKash publishes a fee list. See the table below. |
| Nagad app or *167# | DESCO, DPDC, NESCO, BPDB and Palli Bidyut, prepaid and postpaid | Check the fee on the confirmation screen. |
| Other wallets and bank apps | Many list electricity billers | Billers and fees differ by app. Look for your company in the biller list. |
| Company apps and portals | DPDC has the My DPDC app. NESCO has a customer service portal and a prepaid customer portal. | Useful to check bills, history and your last token. |
| Company counters and agents | Cash payment at offices and collection points | Keep the receipt. |
What bKash charges
bKash publishes this fee table on its help page. Fees and offers can change, so read the fee on the confirmation screen before you approve.
| Company | bKash fee |
|---|---|
| DESCO, NESCO and BPDB (prepaid and postpaid) | 1% of the amount, at most ৳30 |
| DPDC and Palli Bidyut (prepaid and postpaid) | ৳5 for ৳1 to ৳400, ৳10 for ৳401 to ৳1,500, ৳15 for ৳1,501 to ৳5,000, ৳25 above ৳5,000 |
Pay a bill or recharge in five steps
- Open your payment app and choose Pay Bill, then Electricity.
- Choose your company and the right type: prepaid or postpaid. Palli Bidyut uses an SMS account number or meter number.
- Enter your account, consumer or meter number exactly as printed on your bill or meter.
- Check that the name or amount shown matches your account. A mismatch means a wrong number.
- Approve with your PIN and keep the transaction ID.
For a prepaid meter, the token arrives by SMS or your meter updates itself. A normal token has 20 digits. Enter it on the keypad if your meter needs it. See the prepaid meter guide for where a recharge goes.
When something goes wrong
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Money left my account but no token arrived | Wait a few minutes, then check the transaction history. Keep the transaction ID and call your company hotline or 16999. |
| The name shown is not mine | Stop. You typed a wrong number. Check the digits on your bill or meter. |
| The meter rejects the token | Enter it again slowly. One wrong digit fails the token. If it still fails, call your company. |
| The recharge gave fewer units than expected | This is often correct. On the first recharge of the month, VAT, demand charge and meter rent are taken first. See the recharge split table. |
| A postpaid payment does not show | Keep the receipt. Take it to your office if you get a disconnection notice. |
Pay on time
Your bill shows the due date and the late payment charge you pay after it. Pay before the due date. A payment made late through an app can still arrive after the due date, so do not leave it to the last evening. DPDC has said that unpaid bills can lead to disconnection.
Questions readers ask
How can I pay my electricity bill with bKash?
Open the bKash app or dial *247#, choose Pay Bill, then Electricity. Select your company and prepaid or postpaid, enter your account or meter number, check the name shown and approve with your PIN.
What does bKash charge for electricity bills?
For DESCO, NESCO and BPDB it is 1% of the amount, at most 30 taka. For DPDC and Palli Bidyut it is 5 taka up to 400 taka, 10 taka up to 1,500 taka, 15 taka up to 5,000 taka and 25 taka above that. bKash lists the first bill each month as free.
Can I recharge a prepaid meter from my phone?
Yes. DESCO, DPDC, NESCO, BPDB and Palli Bidyut prepaid meters are listed on bKash. You get a token by SMS, or a smart meter updates itself.
Why did my recharge give fewer units than I paid for?
The first recharge of each month has fixed charges taken first: 5% VAT, the demand charge and any meter rent. The 0.5% rebate is then added back.
What if I paid but the bill still shows unpaid?
Keep the transaction ID and receipt, and wait a short time for the system to update. If a disconnection notice comes, take the receipt to your office.
Sources and updates
Checked on 7 October 2026. Hotlines, fees and rules come from the company, samity and government pages listed here. Fees and steps differ between companies and change over time, so confirm the current figure with your own office before you travel or pay.
- bKash: utility bill payment charges
- The Business Standard: how DESCO and DPDC calculate prepaid bills
- NESCO official website
- bKash: see your bill and pay
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