The power distribution companies will inform the customers in prior to load-shedding through mobile phone sms service.
The state power department has instructed six companies to take steps to fix it by this year.
Another instruction was also issued to generate bills to cent per cent customers through sms by June next in a meeting held on Wednesday.
Referring to the issue, the Managing Director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) Bikash Dewan said, “We have already started sending sms notifying the load-shedding times to customers in capital’s Samibag and Kakrail areas. The effort is underway to spread the service to other areas of the capital soon.”
Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) sources said it has generated bills through sms for 71.52 per cent of customers till April this year.
Following the PDB, the Rural Electrification Board (REB) brought 73.50 per cent, DPDC 86 per cent and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO) brought 90 per cent of total customers under the sms billing service.
Notable, the service excludes the customers who use pre-paid meter.
In this regard, fuel expert BD Rahmatullah said, “No load-shedding is supposed to exist after 2014 as per the government’s plan. Customers are still suffering due to the inadequate power supply.”
“Government took a good initiative to inform people through sms about load-shedding. Being informed, customers in the respective areas will get time to manage their works,” he added.