ZESA raises alarm over prepaid meter tampering

THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) yesterday raised alarm over the increased number of people arrested for tampering with prepaid meters.

In a statement, ZETDC said some people were tampering with the meters or effecting direct connections without meters to consume power without payment.

Some people are forced to effect direct connections without meters because of the challenges they face in getting prepaid meters.

In some new settlements in Harare, developers demand vast sums of money for installation of electricity.

In one such suburb, a developer is demanding nearly $3 000 per household, in an act of greed.

Residents suffer this abuse because ZETDC has been failing for years to provide electricity, resulting in developers taking advantage of the situation to install and charge unreasonable fees.

“ZETDC would like to urge those consumers to engage the power utility to take corrective measures to normalise their prepaid meters and to rectify direct connections without meters to ensure that they pay for what they consume,” said the ZETDC.

It offered a grace period of two months.

“ZETDC is offering a grace period of two months until 31st August, 2018 for such offenders to voluntarily 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 by-pass meters,” it said.

The ZETDC said it has embarked on a door-to-door physical audit.

“In addition to our own meters reporting back to the power utility on points that are not purchasing or have suspiciously low purchases, ZETDC has embarked on a door-to-door physical audit of electricity connections on customer premises and after the grace period, defaulters would be subjected to relevant remedial action, which include penalties and litigation to ensure responsible conduct and revenue protection on the part of the power utility,” said the ZETDC.

“After 31st August, 2018, customers that are 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.”