ZESA has clarified some lingering confusion with regards to how the new tariff system works. Apparently some people are still confused as to how it all works and ended up flocking to ZESA offices yesterday to buy tokens.

You see, the way the new system works is that you pay the lowest tariff the first time you make a purchase every month. This applies to the first 200 units (kWH) you buy every month.

However, some people, for some reason, thought that this applies only to the 200 units you buy on the first of every month. That’s an easy mistake to make given the Maths involved but it’s not true.

Social media even went a step further, embellishing the lie. According to some reports, people were even told that ZESA/ZETDC was running some sort of promotion allowing people to buy 200 units cheaply on the first of every month. Those who did not take advantage of this, the lie went, were going to be paying the punitive $3.87/kWH tariff.

It’s all a lie this is how it actually works

We have endeavoured to provide an idiot-proof guide that shows you how it all works here. However, it seems some people are still confused. So here are some things to note:

The first 200 units you buy every month will cost you $157.00.
It doesn’t matter when you make the purchase, on the 1st of every month or on the 15th so long as it’s your first ZESA purchase that month that’s how much it will cost you to buy your first 200 units
This is all tied down to your meter/account number, so if you share a meter only the first 200 units purchased will be at that subsidised rate. The first person to buy (e.g. Lodger 1) buys at that rate if another person (e.g. Landlord) makes a purchase for the same meter, and your total purchase for the month has exceeded the 200 units, you will pay the steep rate of $3.87.
If you haven’t yet exceeded 200 units you still pay the lifeline rate.
It’s not a matter of how many times you buy its a matter of whether your cumulative number of units for the month has exceeded 200 units or not.

Hope this helps.