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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
ABOUT 98 percent of households in Masvingo have electricity prepaid metres, with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Commission saying all domestic houses will have been covered soon.

Responding to questions from residents during Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe public meeting in Masvingo last week, ZETDC Eastern region commercial manager Mr Fabian Mabaya said most of the houses in Masvingo urban had prepaid metres.

He said there were few houses which had not yet been installed with the prepaid metres due to shortage of foreign currency to import them.

“Out of 36 000 customers that we have in Masvingo, only 700 have no prepaid metres,” he said. “Out of that figure, 112 are domestic customers. We are optimistic that before the end of December, the remaining customers will have these prepaid metres.”

Mr Mabaya said the ZETDC was facing challenges of acquiring the much needed foreign currency to import the gadgets from outside the country. He urged consumers who lose their properties through electric faults to file reports with the power utility.

“Once it is proven by investigators that the damage has been caused by an electrical fault, the affected customer has a right to get compensated by the company,” he said.

“However, when investigations reveal otherwise, there won’t be compensation from us because it could be caused by other factors and not our power.”

Zimbabwe has saved 110 megawatt of electricity, the size of a small power station and about a 10th of current output, since the introduction of prepaid meters in 2012.