AFTER many years of persistently crying foul for being ripped off by Zesa’s estimation-based billing system, many residents countrywide have finally heaved a sigh of relief after the power utility’s on-going installation of pre-paid meters.
Report by Wongai Zhangazha
Zesa had for years been short-changing hard-pressed consumers by sending them estimated bills resulting in residents paying inflated bills despite intermittent power cuts that occasionally stretched for days or weeks in some areas.
Consumers also complained Zesa bills were frequently late, making it difficult to budget for power consumption.
Last year the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings, embarked on wholesale replacement of all conventional post-paid meters with pre-paid meters.
The project involves the migration of about 600 000 domestic and small business customers from credit metering to pre-paid or “smart metering” over a 10- month period.
As of December 2012, about 23 000 meters had been installed in Harare and Bulawayo.
The new meters have been installed in the Avenues area, Mabelreign, the new Willowvale Flats in Highfield and Belvedere, while in Bulawayo they have been installed in Emganwini, Paddonhurst and Mahatshula.
Other areas earmarked for deployment of pre-paid meters are Chitungwiza, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare, Masvingo, Chinhoyi, Bindura, Kadoma and Marondera.
Residents have widely applauded the project, saying they are relieved to have the freedom to manage their electricity bills by paying for actual consumption.
ZETDC commercial director Enock Ncube said the initiative has given the utility the capacity to deliver on its main role of facilitating the improvement of availability of electricity to the populace, as well as the attainment of self-sufficiency in electricity generation.
Ncube said: “The utility is a key enabler of the country’s economic recovery under the new Medium Term Policy, and as such introduction of pre-payment meters to customers is one of the key pillars to achieve business excellence and turn around service delivery in the short and long-term.”
According to Zesa officials, the pre-paid tariff is lower than the metered tariff as it eliminates meter reading, billing and postage costs.
The officials added that electricity debt on the post-paid account would be transferred to the new pre-paid account, meaning 20% of pre-paid electricity purchase would go towards clearing the consumer’s debt.
Although the pre-paid meters have proved popular with residents who can now budget how much they want to spend on electricity, there are fears installation of the meters does not address the problem of cost since Zesa still owes millions of US dollars in power imports, or the availability of power in the country. Zesa produces about 1 200MW of electricity against a national demand of 2 200MW.
Installation of pre-paid meters may also result in poor households and essential service providers such as clinics and hospitals finding themselves without power after failing to buy electricity since the meters have turned power into a cash commodity.
Most essential service providers depend on government and donor funding, meaning they can only settle their bills after funding has been secured. The pre-paid meter system does not make an allowance for most essential services being plunged into darkness for far longer periods compared to the power cuts era as electricity would only be restored after topping up.
Electricity tariffs are likely to go up due to the wholesale installation of pre-paid meters given that power has to be purchased from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique, analysts said.
“It appears as though government has decided to pass on the cost (of power imports) to the user without democratically explaining affordability of the important energy source for many urban households and industries,” said an analyst who requested anonymity.
“It’s a decision to privatise electricity to allow Zesa to pass on the cost to the consumer at unreasonable rates, while at the same time claiming to be efficient.”
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association co-ordinator Rodrick Fayayo applauded the pre-paid system for doing away with the discredited estimate billing system.
“The relief that came with that project is that it has dealt with the problem of estimate billing,” said Fayayo. “However, electricity will now be turned into a commercial service rather than a basic right. If you don’t have money then you don’t have electricity. In Bulawayo, there are many residents who are elderly and child-headed households which cannot afford to buy electricity. What happens to them? What is Zesa’s plan for them? I think Zesa did not fully prepare for this initiative and had selfish reasons.”
Consumer Council of Zimbabwe executive director Rosemary Siyachitema said although her organisation was at the forefront of pushing for pre-paid meters, it was yet to do a proper assessment of Zesa’s initiatives from a consumer perspective.
“We have not done an assessment yet of the progress so far over the pre-paid meters from a consumer point of view,” Siyachitema said. “This is something we plan to do mid-year.”
Mangoma weee! MDC- T WEEE! Keep on improving our country.
Funy very funy, I had a pre-pad meter for years only to be told sometime last year that the meter is no longer required, so they came and disconnected it.Now they advocate the use
of the very same metres,
.I went back to ZESA for them to reconnect and now they want $200 from me.
, really what for. I stay at no 15288,new zengeza 4. Curuption is too much we can’t stand this.
Can the minister responsible look in to this.
Pasi i challenge you. you are not saying the truth, zesa does NOT charge ANY fee for installing a prepaid meter. There has been NO account of receipting such kind of payment. In addition to this customers do not have to go to zesa themselves to ask for prepaid maters, zesa is going area by area installing these new meters to ALL customers in that particular area including those with outstanding bills. Can you tell us wether zesa has come to your area and install new meter on your neighborhood and skipped your house? finally zesa has contracted some companies to do the work and not zesa itself. Pasi please we don’t want lies.
i do not agree with pasi, a company contracted by zesa just came to change our meter without charging us and without us having to go to zesa. they will install your meter when they come to your location free of charge.
Dear Pasi, YOU can make the difference for yourself and MANY more by fighting the demand for $200, as if you are a brand new customer! Make sure you take your case to ZERA (Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Authority) at Century Towers along Samora Machel Avenue, to CCZ (Consumer Council of Zimbabwe) at Pax House near Parliament and to HRT (Harare Residents Trust) at the corner of Mazowe and Tongogara. Don’t take it lying down!!! All the best, KG
So are they putting prepaid meters on the houses of MP’s, government officials who still owe millions to ZESA. HOPE THEY DO
they are targetting those government officials who have been not paying their bills. thats why they hate minister E. Mangoma and arrest him for no offence..
Im a resident of Gweru (athlone) and the whole neighbourhood has since received the meters except my property. Ive contacted the local ZESA office with no plausible reason. Meanwhile my neighbours are enjoying lower charges as a result of the new meters. Is there a call centre kwatingawanewo anotinzwa.
I’m renting a house there was an outstanding bill and the person how was staying there left without paying his bills now the electiricity has been cut off.The person is no way to be found. I’m requesting for a pre-paid meter so that I can be able to pay the old account .
Its ok. Can these so called analyts please explain why they are saying there is need for ZESA to look at the issue from the customer’s percepective
1 . Goverment hospitals get their money from the treasure and donors and will later pay. [Use now and pay later] . ZESA is going to finance the bill upto the time when the donor and the treseasure pay for the bill at a cost [intrest] for financing the bill from foreign countries. if asked to pay the all costs they will cry foul. I think ZESA has simply asked the responsible people to pay first and use later as in the case with medical drugs imported why not electricity.
2. Bureaucracy within the goverment has costed ZESA so much upto a time when ZESA has adopted the prepaid metres. Reports of ministers and other goverment officials offices are amass the media until the forth estate has brought the practise to the sportlight for the payment long overdue. This has resulted in huge accumulation of debts by ZESA caused by the same goverment officials. Who is paying dearly for these illfated practise in the form of loadshedding. The same debters are getting preferential treatement. Its time for it to be set right and correct. PAY NOW AND USE LATER the best medicine for goverment bureaucracy. This will force the hospitals to find a way out without blaming ZESA.
3. There are many new houses waiting to be connected. they have been waiting for the last 12 months. So can they please tell how many dacedes do they have to wait for the connection? As if not enough money has already been paid up $135 for the connection per house and still upto now nothing has been done. The meters are coming in small batches cause of lack of funds. But these have already paid up. Sorry can i ask what kind of business principle these organisation is using. So in simple terms they are saying new comers are financing prepaid meters for whoever is benefitng now at their own fate. EXPLAIN??????? Cause at the rate at which the programm is going i think three decades will not be enough.
4. Can someone please enlighten me if am wrong. Zimbabwe Development Bank (ZDB) was issuing corporate bonds on behalf of ZESA prepaid meters as was advertised in the financial gazette in mid 2012 and the result was good. What troubles my mind is the rate at which the project is being implimented cause of lack of the same funds raised by the ZDB. What happened to the money if i can ask.IS THE PAPER STILL ON THE MARKET OR IT WAS BADLY AFFECTED BY LIQUIDITY PROBLEMS?
hello,my friend,how are you
Lets see if anything will be done… Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority… the pre-paid system that has given the country a bit of relief is already being corrupted. Lets say that 23000 units have been installed and each unit is charged up with $100 a month, that is $2,300,000 in revenue to ZESA. this has been on going for at least the last 6 months working out at about $13,800,000. This is a lot of money to start settling debt, but instead the big wigs at ZESA prefer to spend the money on new vehicles and new houses. To make matters worse, they have now decided that it’s a good idea to short change the consumer. $1 = 10 units so imagine the surprise one gets when buying $20 and only getting 145 units. does anyone else find this concerning. does anyone see a pattern forming… ZESA needs to be dealt with and the corruption put to an end as soon as possible.
Crap! I just had the prepaid system installed where i stay in Bulawayo. The thing is refusing to juice up. After only two week, TWO WEEKS PEOPLE! I have been in darkness since last Saturday. ZESA my foot. Stop taking people for a ball and get efficient, otherwise we will do away with you, period. Get your house in order.