Move to Smart Meters for Convenience – Chizuzu
In a bid to address the ongoing challenges of estimated billing, the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Mashonaland West Province Chairman, Mr Timothy Chizuzu, has urged miners to switch to smart meters for more accurate and convenient electricity billing.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, Chizuzu emphasized the importance of adopting smart meters, which provide precise readings of electricity usage, ensuring miners are billed accurately for the energy they consume.
The ZMF Mashwest Chairman highlighted several key benefits of smart meters, noting that they eliminate the discrepancies caused by estimated billing.
“It’s true that many miners have been struggling with the challenges of estimated billing. This has often resulted in higher-than-expected bills, which can be frustrating and financially burdensome.
“Smart meters offer several key benefits. First, they eliminate the discrepancies caused by estimated billing, providing accuracy and fairness. Miners can monitor their energy usage in real-time, which helps them to track and manage their consumption more effectively. This leads to better planning and budgeting for energy costs,” Chizuzu said.
According to Chizuzu, miners who have already adopted smart meters are very positive about the change.
“Miners who have already adopted smart meters are very positive about the change. They find this technology to be the most effective way of managing their electricity usage. The transparency and control it offers are invaluable, and the convenience of remote readings saves time and resources for everyone involved,” he said.
The push for smart meters comes amidst complaints from miners without smart metering who accuse the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) of unfair practices.
Miners have reported issues with frequent disconnections and claims of overdue payments despite having made the necessary payments.
“They are still constantly disconnecting mining users whenever they need to extort them for money. This happens every three months at least. They drive around the whole of Mash West Kadoma area and disconnect mines claiming overdue payments. Once you prove that their office is at fault and behind on correcting accounts and acknowledging payments which were in fact made, you have lost three days of production! This is a constant issue we fight daily with the Kadoma office and their billing department,” one miner reported.
Chizuzu acknowledged the concerns, stating, “I understand that change can be daunting, but I assure you that smart meters are a worthwhile investment. They provide a fairer, more accurate billing system and give you the tools to better manage your energy consumption. I encourage all miners to embrace this technology for the many benefits it offers.”