ZESCO Limited says it has commenced the allocation of 100 Covid-19 bonus units to selected vulnerable customers countrywide.
Zesco Public Relations Manager Hazel Zulu disclosed to Money FM News that the Covid-19 relief package will be issued to the most vulnerable residential customers who constitute about 460,000 low consuming customers and 19,000 micro-household enterprises who consume below 200 units.
Ms. Zulu said this is being done to alleviate the economic impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable commercial and domestic customers and help them to improve their living standards and their ability to pay for future power consumption.
She added that in the same vain, the micro-household enterprises will be able to grow their businesses and increase capacity to pay for business utility bills.
“The bonus units relief package will run up to 30 April 2021 and customers that qualify will get their 100 units on the first purchase of each month in addition to the units that they buy in a particular month. These customers were identified earlier this year following an evaluation of their electricity consumption pattern,” Ms. Zulu said.
And Ms. Zulu however urged Customers to note that the free 100 units are not accumulative and cannot be deferred to another month, adding that those who will not buy units in that particular month, will forfeit the bonus 100 units and cannot claim them from the previous month.
“This is one of the three COVID -19 relief packages that ZESCO introduced as part of its contribution towards government’s multi-sectoral approach to ensure sustainability of the social and economic welfare of the people under the current environment.”
“The other packages included cancellation of the accumulated fixed charges on 71,000 residential and commercial customers which was implemented on 1st August 2020,”she added.
The other package was temporary suspension or deferment of the 40 percent recovery debt on selected customers whose debt was carried forward, after the introduction of the prepaid metering system in 2006.