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Zimbabweans speak out . . . On ZESA & electricity meter reading
Kubatana.net
June 08, 2012

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Recently, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company issued some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about load shedding.

In this, they state:

"Currently, about 80% of meters are read each month. Those that are not read, are estimated during that particular month, but such cases are then read the following month without fail. The estimate, which is based on historical consumption, is subsequently adjusted downwards or upwards when the meter is read and actual consumption captured."

Kubatana shared this information via Freedom Fone, and invited callers to share their experiences.

Here are just a few of their responses:

1) Yes they do pass by my house to read the meter every once in a while, but I've never had my bill reduced downwards the following month. Listen

2) I want to give an outcry for residents of Glen View and Kuwadzana Extension where ZESA is literally punishing us. In Glen View electricity can go for up to 10 to 12 hours a day. You have electricity at you homes, it's not fair. Our bills are very high. If I meet these ZESA people, surely if I meet these ZESA people . . . it's not fair! My electricity bill was about a $100 and there is no justification for such a high bill since we do not use even the oven to bake at home. ZESA is taking advantage of us. Listen

3) These guys are not serious. They've never been serious. All I can say is this is just another lie. They never read our meters frequently. All I know is our bills are based on estimates, which is a clever way of them shortchanging us. It should be based on actual readings, but this is never the case. Listen

4) My meter reading is usually actual-based. I rarely get estimated bills. Mine is usually actual billing. Listen

5) Yeah, this is the case that ZEDTC was doing all along. I've actually had an experience whereby ZESA was simply mugging us of our hard-earned money. It's rare for them to actually come and see the meter readings, yet they continue to charge us exorbitant money even if there is no electricity. So it's actually the experience we've had with ZEDTC and we are advocating for it to shut down. Listen

6) I stay here in Mvurwi, and I must say I am very bitter with ZESA. Firstly, the bills come very late. Like right now, we're in June, and we've not received our May statement. Secondly, there is so much inconsistency in the billing. Like this for example - In March, my bill was $15. In April, it was $76. I mean, how does that work. I even asked them - How come I've never seen any ZESA person come to my house and read the meter. And moreover, we are always without ZESA. It's so annoying. I don't even know where they come up with these ridiculous figures. Okay, fair and fine. If I'm to pay $76, at least it should be justified. Usually, we spend the whole day without electricity. We only get electricity in the night when we are sleeping. When we wake up, there is no electricity. I am very bitter about this ZESA situation. Listen

7) ZESA has never been to my house to take any meter reading. They always write estimates, which are always in the excess of $150 per month, and even if I go there with my own meter reading, they do not use that. I have to pay $150 for a family of two adults and two children who are always at school and there is no one at home. My geyser is always switched off. No one has ever come to take any meter reading whatsoever, and it is always Estimate, Estimate, Estimate. I don't know where they get their bills from. And if I don't pay, they come and switch it off. And this is $150 per month. Who can even pay that? What civil servant can go and pay that money? I think ZESA is just ripping people off. They should put those pre-paid meters in place. If they cannot afford to put them in, they should ask people who want them to pay their own money and get them installed. What ZESA is doing is utter rubbish. That company should just close. Thanks for giving me a chance to air my views, because I am sick and tired of these ZESA bills. Listen

8) We do not receive our bills, but ZESA authorities come to cut off the supply at our house meters. When they have cut our supply, we pay an extra $10 as reconnection fee without even receiving a bill. On some days, load shedding occurs at 10 to 15 minutes intervals. This damages our electrical appliances. We are sick and tired of this. If we could afford to engage lawyers we would do so and sue ZESA for this. As we speak, power was cut off and now it back again within a space of five minutes. On top of all this, our bill are always estimated, ZESA does not come to read our meters. And they are not consistent in their system. One month you can receive a very high bill and the next month one which is slightly less than the previous of an amount averaging $20. We are not even aware of which rates they use to calculate our bills. We haven't received our last month's bill and it not shocking to see ZESA people coming to cut us off the supply. ZESA is being corrupt. Listen

9) ZESA doesn't come to read our meter. They're just using estimate, but these estimates rise each time, so it's a real cause for concern. I think ZESA's operations need continued monitoring by the policy makers. It's ripping off customers. Whether there's power or no they continue to charge. This is a real eyesore. Listen

10) In the last 6 months, we only had one actual meter reading. Otherwise, 5 out of 6 have been estimates. To make things worse, when we had the worst load shedding, that is when we had the highest bill. It rose from $141 to $272 and surprisingly that was during the month that we had the most load shedding. Listen

11) It's not true what the ZESA guys are saying. As for my case, they do not read any meter, and when the bill comes, it is high, it does not really reflect what they are giving. I think these guys are playing with our minds.
Listen

12) In most cases, we don't even see the guys coming to record our meters. In most cases the electricity bills we are receiving are estimates. We can go for a year without seeing the guy collecting the figures. Listen

13) When our bills come they charge us for an estimate. It doesn't reflect what you would have received for that month. It's worrisome when you are being asked to pay more than what you actually used. Sometimes we try to reduce consumption, but we don't see that reflected in the amount that is levied at the end of the month. Listen

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Audio File

• Message 1
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 10sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 168KB
  
  
• Message 2
  Summary:
  Language: Shona
  Duration: 41sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 643KB
  
  
• Message 3
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 33sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 520KB
  
  
• Message 4
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 13sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 213KB
  
  
• Message 5
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 37sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 586KB
  
  
• Message 6
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 1min 08sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 1.04MB
  
  
• Message 7
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 1min 24sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 1.28MB
  
  
• Message 8
  Summary:
  Language: Shona
  Duration: 1min 14sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 1.13MB
  
  
• Message 9
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 54sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 847KB
  
  
• Message 10
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 30sec
  Date: June 08, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 481KB
  
  
• Message 11
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 19sec
  Date: June 09, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 299KB
  
  
• Message 12
  Summary:
  Language: English
  Duration: 18sec
  Date: June 09, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 281KB
  
  
• Message 13
  Summary:
  Language: Shona and English
  Duration: 27sec
  Date: June 09, 2012
  File Type: MP3
  Size: 436KB

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