Zesa door-to-door audit to find illegal connections

BULAWAYO – The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) is to conduct a door-to-door physical audit of electricity connections to flush out users who bypassed pre-paid meters.

ZETDC, which distributes electricity to the final end user, had announced an amnesty for two months that ends on August 31, 2018, for offenders to have their electricity regularised without questions asked.

The company said it was concerned with the rising number of consumers who have been apprehended by police for by-passing and tampering with their prepaid meters or effecting directing connections without meters to consume power without payment. said the company in a press statement.

“ZETDC is urging those customers to engage with the power utility to take corrective measures to normalise their prepaid meters and to rectify direct connections without meters to make sure they pay for what they consume.”

We are offering a grace period of two months until 31 August for such offenders to voluntary come forward regularise their electricity connections and by-passed meters without questions being asked as we are aware that some customers may not have appreciated the full impact of attempting to bypass meters.”

The electricity distribution company noted that the physical audit of electricity connections was a follow up response to check if all consumers were paying for their service.

“In addition to our meters reporting back to the power utility on points that are not purchasing or have suspiciously low purchase ZETDC has embarked on a door to door physical audit of electricity audit of electricity connections on customers’ premises.

“After the grace period defaulters would be subjected to relevant remedial action which includes penalties and litigation to ensure responsible conduct and revenue protection on the part of the power utility.”

After 31 August consumers found to have by–passed or tampered with their meters will be liable to prosecution and risk having a mandatory 10-year jail sentence passed on them, ZETDC warned.