News / National
Zesa rolls out pre-paid meters to smaller towns
19 Nov 2012 at 05:26hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has started rolling out its ongoing pre-paid meters programme to smaller towns with the power utility having so far installed at least 40 000 pre-paid meters in all domestic premises countrywide in the last few months, an official said yesterday.
In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, Zesa Holdings spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira said the power utility was impressed with the rate of progress so far, adding that they expected to have installed 600 000 pre-paid meters in the next 10 months.
"So far, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company has installed close to 40 000 pre-paid meters and we are expected to have installed about 600 000 pre-paid meters in all domestic premises countrywide within a period of 10 months. We are really impressed by the rate of progress so far.
"We have already started installing pre-paid meters in small towns such as Chinhoyi and Gweru and will eventually spread the exercise to other towns as well," he said.
Zesa Holdings contracted a South African compony Landis and Gear and four other companies to supply the meters.
"Pre-paid meters are being supplied from all over the world by reputable suppliers that were engaged through the relevant State procurement procedure and to date, there are no major challenges as the programme is progressing well and we are encouraging co-operation from consumers.
"This is a countrywide project where we a installing pre-paid meters for our clients and we are expecting another batch which is supposed to be double or three times the first one of 24 000 meters," said Mr Gwasira.
He urged electricity users not to install the meters on their own.
"Residents should be patient and avoid negotiating with Zesa staff or anyone to get the pre-paid meters because they will be duped," said Mr Gwasira.
Electricity consumers have been accusing the power utility of fleecing them through inflated bills based on estimates.
Mr Gwasira defended the Zesa billing systems, arguing ZETDC was taking 90 percent of actual meter readings, while the remaining 10 percent of estimates was largely due to a number of factors that he said included failure to access some customer premises.
"We are taking 90 percent of actual meter reading while the outstanding meter readings would then be read within a period of three months," he said.
The project to install pre-paid meters started in Harare last June and has since spread to other cities and towns.
In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, Zesa Holdings spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira said the power utility was impressed with the rate of progress so far, adding that they expected to have installed 600 000 pre-paid meters in the next 10 months.
"So far, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company has installed close to 40 000 pre-paid meters and we are expected to have installed about 600 000 pre-paid meters in all domestic premises countrywide within a period of 10 months. We are really impressed by the rate of progress so far.
"We have already started installing pre-paid meters in small towns such as Chinhoyi and Gweru and will eventually spread the exercise to other towns as well," he said.
Zesa Holdings contracted a South African compony Landis and Gear and four other companies to supply the meters.
"Pre-paid meters are being supplied from all over the world by reputable suppliers that were engaged through the relevant State procurement procedure and to date, there are no major challenges as the programme is progressing well and we are encouraging co-operation from consumers.
He urged electricity users not to install the meters on their own.
"Residents should be patient and avoid negotiating with Zesa staff or anyone to get the pre-paid meters because they will be duped," said Mr Gwasira.
Electricity consumers have been accusing the power utility of fleecing them through inflated bills based on estimates.
Mr Gwasira defended the Zesa billing systems, arguing ZETDC was taking 90 percent of actual meter readings, while the remaining 10 percent of estimates was largely due to a number of factors that he said included failure to access some customer premises.
"We are taking 90 percent of actual meter reading while the outstanding meter readings would then be read within a period of three months," he said.
The project to install pre-paid meters started in Harare last June and has since spread to other cities and towns.
Source - TC
