ZETDC gets tough on meter tampering
THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has said it is worried by the surge in the number of consumers tampering with prepaid meters.
In a Press statement last week, ZETDC said it is giving offenders up to the end of the month to regularise their electricity connections or face the full wrath of the law.
ZETDC said after August 31, customers that are found to have by-passed or tampered with meters will be liable to prosecution and risk having mandatory 10-year jail sentence passed on them.
“The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company wishes to advise its valued customers that it is concerned with the rising number of consumers who are being apprehended by police for by-passing and tampering with prepaid metres or effecting direct connections without meters to consume power without payment,” said ZETDC.
“ZETDC is offering a grace period of two months until August 31, 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.”
The power company said it has embarked on a door-to-door physical audit to check on illegal connections.
“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 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,” it said.