By NATION REPORTER
ZESCO will effective October 1, 2022, implement a monthly electricity bill low power factor surcharge in addition to the usual capacity, energy, and fixed charges.
According to a statement issued by Zesco, the surcharge applies to customers drawing 100kVA and operating at a power factor lower than the 0.92 lagging required by law.
“The authority to implement the low power factor surcharge was granted to Zesco by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) in 2016. However, its rollout was deferred to allow for customer familiarization of the key aspects of the low power factor surcharge which included the distribution of educational dummy bills. The deferment was also intended to provide customers adequate time to put in place reactive power compensation equipment,” the statement read.
The statement said unlike taxes and levies, the power factor surcharge is avoidable, provided the customer operates within the prescribed power factor limit. The benefits of operating above the targeted power factor of 0.92 lagging are reduced energy bills, improved voltage profiles, increase in efficiency of the electrical system and devices among others.
“To enable all its maximum demand customers to gauge their compliance levels, Zesco has distributed dummy bills based on the August 2022 meter readings to all the affected customers, including those who may not have been on the database during the Six (6) months trial period of January to June 2016,” Zesco said.
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