Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has entered into a partnership with an Egyptian company based in Ndola to manufacture prepaid meters.
Director for Distribution and Supply Joe Chiyassa, who confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, said the move is aimed at meeting the increasing demand for the prepaid initiative.
Mr. Chiyassa said the metering exercise has been a cost saving measure for the utility company as it leaves no room for error to the mutual benefit of both clients the utility firm.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chiyassa says the ZESCO is aware that accessibility to the prepaid electricity tokens has in some areas been difficult.
He however, assured the public that the company was doing everything possible to address the problem.
Mr. Chiyassa said the institution is looking into the possible establishment of more token selling centers and engaging third party vendors to ease access to the prepaid electricity tokens.
He urged residents to embrace the prepaid initiative as customers are able to control and monitor the usage of electricity.
He noted that the response from the public has been good as more residents are demanding for the prepaid service.
About 23,000 households were metered by ZESCO in the first phase and about 65,000 were metered in the second phase of the exercise and 30,000 more are earmarked for the third phase of the exercise.
ZANIS
Yes, we need these tuma meters. Power is very expensive. Numerous blackouts but still end up paying Zesco!
I wonder if the prepaid meters can be tampered with like the classic zesco meters where you can reduce your bills
Yes we really need them. Batwibila sana ba ZESCO aba. Their fixed charges are very high and with this load shedding we are at a loss. We should start paying for what we consume.
I have heard that these prepaid meters are much cheaper than the conventional ones, however you must realise that the units will still be purchased from Zesco vending machines. Prepaid or not, if zesco continues the loadshedding then the blackouts will continue.I feel sad for our country, we have the capacity to produce 6000MW of electriicty but currently we are only producing 1800MW and yet we are experiencing blackouts and on the news i learnt they have since started importing power. Maybe they should appoint me MD!
good development. but yes prepaid meters are tempered with too
Pharaoh Electrics
Iwe mukazi wa Jack @ #5, how is that done?
It is a good thing but ZESCO also needs to go online-purchase so that even if it was 2am one can still buy the power top-up.
Long over due. This standard in
i thougt the partnership was to deal with the current power shortages in the country kanshi nifimbifye.NATUCHULA KU LOADSHEDING….
We can temper with everything in Zambia.wa ye gwila,we are the same people installing them who will also temper with them.i have to make money .if zesco cant employe me on permanent what do you expect from me.to get money from someone so that i can help them pay less money.
I thought the partnership was to deal with the current power outages kansi fya ma metre.TWACHULA LOADSHEDING PAFULA
Good move. Make sure there is enough tokens because you can not close a bank and then install an ATM which doesn’t work. where then do you expect people to withdrew cash?
Ni zee my brother dont behave like you are new in Zambia.In Zambia everybody does what is opposite.instead of attacking the matter at hand what they will do is to do something which is not even important.all there concern is money making and poor services to the customers.
imwe ba LT what are these horror things you are advertising ati “play MMD games online”?natiina ine ,naya nokuya mwe! ba Moze have u seen the ghosts?
Kadoyo how are you boyi?
Kadoyo?
Ba Chewe the puritiest,how art thee! have u seen wat LT has brought on their home page?some horror-beings as actors in an “MMD online game”!!!!!!! I wonder who they are refering to….he he heh heh heh
This is very good development. It’s all about growth in the energy sector, if a company like ZESCO is to survive the future demands. l also like the fact that we can cooperate with another African country.
Zescolo…..partiner with proper companies in production of power ala. Making meters is nothing Zesco. Thats why the weed has grown to this level coz in every thing you want partiners. Wake up Zescolo please.
F.T.J I have seen the ‘Ghosts’. Efinshi nomba?
ati “MMD online game” ba LT sibanvela….are they refering to RB + his team as the actors ?
Ba Moze, kwaliba matero mu Zed. Im nt encouraging anyone elo natina ba Zesco kuti banjikata. but thats a machine made by a human being and u know corruption mu Zambia. Ni 1 pin fye ninshi ama units yayamba ukuya mu reverse. gime yo numba
Iwe Mukazi wa Jack siunvela. Anakuchosa kuti Jack kansi? lol!!
abantu pa zed balikalipa….have u forgoten the digital studio in Chunga,the 16year-old Mansa boy manufacturing ama 50pin notes,the zingalume soft drink manufacturers…u think they can fail to reverse ama-units yaba Zesco muli kamashini?wachepa sana Zesco naiwe!
this is good devlopment otherwise the SISALA spirit is still in ZESCO. I mean the blackouts or is it load shedding. Zesco has always been caught pants down, how do they allow weeds to invade the generation facilities in Kafue this time. Flush out all the SISALA hinchmen for you to survive.
Hahaha Bamuka Jack lishilu lol
we shall produce children enmass coz of darkness
Was Sata going to manufacture these meters in Matero or Chunga?
You will see when we start load shedding
That is now the end of Zesco as they will not bill households for blackouts. This is one institution that needs unbundling like ZamTel.
It is too big to be ran efficiently and the salaries structure is just too high considering the over-employment.
There is really need for competition in this industry.
it will never work.
this is a good development. i strongly recomend that zesco goes flat out and instals the pre paid meters in rural areas where the power supply is not stead so that zesco stops stealing from these people. 2nd, there was no need for zesco to partner with an eyptian company, is this the most expert in this field? this amounts to the famous single sourcing which is now being used to steal GRZ funds
In this ailing economy, this is the way to go. tulefwaya ayakupimisha.
#28 Lokombwe. People like you are not powerful as you ought. Your power comes after sitting ku mbaula for hours. Full of excuses, no my leg this, my tongue this,my high blood pressure that, no I am watching TV, no, I have home work ! one person, but when you come in public, you want to show us that you are the champion? Baba, take it easy!
Lusaka Times, how come you haven’t reported on the PF/UPND pact??
Yeah, I used to temper with the classic zesco meters to reduce the bills but stopped as I thought was stealing. Whoever feels they’re stealing should stop, including zesco
Aah! Ama metre nomba? Fileumfwika ubusaka, nomba….. bakeeba bamukukulu nangu bakafilungisha, lungisha ba guy baku Zesco pakulwamo umuchanga. Nangu kwakulaba ati; naushitaa nomba kuli loadshading. Bafilekefye ififine fyaba; bakosefye ukupoka umusonko. Nga ba metre reader bakabomba kwi?Elyo ninshi bashimaini naikosa nabo kusaidi uku. Ba Zesco nabena iikose iya Jobano? Shake shake yalasshota pansaka. Ba Rwanda nabo balaafula!!!!!