ZESA (ZETDC) Electricity Tariffs
These are the latest ZERA-approved tariffs for the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), the division of ZESA that supplies electricity to homes and other final consumers.
ZESA electricity tariffs as of 15 October 2026
Prices last confirmed 12 minutes ago.
| Consumption band | Price (USD) | Price incl. 6% REA (USD) | Price incl. 6% REA (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–50 units | US$0.0800 | US$0.0848 | ZiG 2.2565 |
| 51–100 units | US$0.0900 | US$0.0954 | ZiG 2.5385 |
| 101–200 units | US$0.1600 | US$0.1696 | ZiG 4.5130 |
| 201–300 units | US$0.2300 | US$0.2438 | ZiG 6.4874 |
| 301–400 units | US$0.2500 | US$0.2650 | ZiG 7.0515 |
| 401 units and above | US$0.2600 | US$0.2756 | ZiG 7.3336 |
The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) levy of 6% applies on top of every band. Your first 400 units each month cost US$76.85 in total at these rates — after that, everything is billed at the top band.
- Tariffs are priced in USD per unit (kWh), with a 6% Rural Electrification Authority (REA) levy added on top.
- Domestic customers are billed in ZiG at the prevailing exchange rate. Only exporters and large businesses such as mines are billed directly in USD.
- A unit and a kWh (kilowatt hour) are the same thing.
What a stepped electricity tariff means for your bill
Prices last confirmed 12 minutes ago.
ZESA charges more per unit the more electricity you use each month. Your first 1–50 units cost US$0.08 each, the next band costs US$0.10 each, and so on, up to US$0.28 per unit once you pass 400 units.
Put together, your first 400 units each month — the discounted bands — cost about US$76.85 in total. Everything beyond that is billed at the top rate.
Is electricity cheaper on the 1st of the month?
Not really — it just resets. Your 400 discounted units become available again on the 1st of every month, so buying on the 1st feels cheap. But if you haven't bought anything yet this month, your first purchase gets the same discount whether it's the 1st or the 20th — the discount is tied to being your first purchase of the month, not the date.
Worked example: what does buying more units cost?
| Units bought | Total cost (USD) | Total cost (ZiG) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | US$4.24 | ZiG 112.82 |
| 100 | US$9.01 | ZiG 239.75 |
| 200 | US$25.97 | ZiG 691.05 |
| 300 | US$50.35 | ZiG 1,339.78 |
| 400 | US$76.85 | ZiG 2,044.93 |
| 500 | US$104.41 | ZiG 2,778.29 |
| 1,000 | US$242.21 | ZiG 6,445.06 |
How many units will my money actually get me?
That depends on how much you’ve already bought this month, since the bands are cumulative — and there’s no public ZESA system we can check that against automatically. Use our ZESA calculator to work it out: tell it what you’ve bought so far this month (or leave it at zero for a first purchase) and it’ll show you exactly how many units your money buys, or what a given number of units will cost.
Does cooking in the evening or early morning save electricity?
No. Social media posts sometimes claim you can save money by using power early in the morning or late at night. For domestic users, ZESA charges the same tariff whatever the time of day — there’s no off-peak or peak-hour discount. The units your device uses don’t change with the clock, so cooking at midnight costs exactly the same as cooking at noon.
What is a unit?
ZESA electricity is sold in units. One unit equals 1 kWh (kilowatt hour).
Where can I buy electricity?
Electricity is essential, so there are many ways to top up. Some of the most common:
- Mobile money wallets — EcoCash, OneMoney and Telecash all support ZESA top-ups.
- Mobile or internet banking — every major Zimbabwean bank lets you buy tokens via USSD, a banking app or online banking.
- Paynow, an online payment system.
- Vendors — found in most neighbourhoods, and often the fastest option when other systems are down.
- Your nearest ZESA office, if every other option is unavailable.
Ready to top up?
Buy ZESA tokens online in a few taps, or work out exactly how many units your money will get you first.
