Annoyed by a ridiculous message doing rounds on WhatsApp that claims ZESA is stealing electrical units during load-shedding hours, the power utility has issued a strong rebuttal that will take customers through a basic physics lesson proving it’s not even possible to steal units when there is no power.

It all began with an absurd message

Hi People.
I take meticulous ZESA Readings on a daily basis, and I have noticed that ZESA is STEALING Units from us during Load-shedding.
EXAMPLE.
1) I take readings every
24 hours, that is when
ZESA comes back
Between 10pm & 11pm.
2) I ALSO, take readings
@ 5am, just before
Power goes off
between 5am & 6am.
This is to monitor when
ZESA is restored @
Different times during
the day; a VERY! Rare
Occasion, I might add.
3) I take readings Again,
when Power is
restored @ an
unsual time.
THATS when I
discovered the
Anomalies.
4) A pattern has
developed where ZESA
is Debiting a Range of
2 to 4 Units during
Load-Shedding.
The MATHS.
A conservative 2 Units
is 2 X $3.87 = $7.74
per Day OR
20 Days X $7.74 =
$154.00 per month.
MULTIPLY that by
the Nations Meters
Say, 1 million
households
THAT is a Cool
$154 Million that we
are being RIPPED OFF!
Monthly.
SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!!! PEOPLE!!
Check your Readings
A long rambling message

Of course, ZESA is not stealing units

As ZESA is clearly explaining above it’s not possible for them to steal electricity when there is no electricity. What is probable is that it’s a measurement issue or some type of fault at the customer’s premises.

For example, a surge causes massive consumption just as power returns or maybe the customer is making basic measurement mistakes. This is likely after all it’s not as if the customer is waiting patiently for power to return just so they can take a measurement. More likely they are taking their readings some moments after power comes back.

If s/he has power-hungry devices they could be gobbling those units in the interim before the measurement is made.