Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has, in terms of Section 53 of the Electricity Act and effective on the 1st of January 2022, increased electricity tariffs by 12.3 per cent.
This will see families on pre-paid meters buying 200 units per month now paying US$1265.11 including the 6 per cent rural electrification levy, up from just under US$1127.
There are 5 bands of discounted tariffs before the full US$14.31 a unit comes into effect on all purchases over 400 units, although consumers can only have the advantage of the discounts on their 1st purchase each month. Subsequent purchases are charged at the full price.
The 1st 50 units cost US$2.38 each, before the rural levy. So the full 50 will cost a domestic consumer on a pre-paid meter US$126.14 including the rural electrification levy.
The 50 units is considered the bare minimum that a family needs for essential purposes and assumes that they do not heat water for washing with electricity.
Consumers on post-paid meters will pay similar charges plus an additional US$35.68 monthly fixed charge. The fixed charge covers the extra administration costs with a meter that is not prepaid and at times the complications and costs of recovering a bad debt.
