It’s time to rethink Zesco electricity pricing
Editorial Comment
THE growing public outcry over the rapid depletion of prepaid electricity units should serve as a loud warning bell to both Zesco Limited and the Energy Regulation Board (ERB).
Electricity is not a luxury but a basic service that underpins modern life, productivity and dignity. When ordinary households begin to feel punished for simply switching on lights, cooking meals or studying at night, then something in the system is clearly not working as intended.
Stakeholders from across the political and social divide have voiced legitimate concerns that resonate with the daily lived experiences of many Zambians. The complaint is that prepaid units are running out far too quickly, forcing families to spend significantly more just to maintain the same level of electricity use.
Households that once managed on K500 per month now find themselves paying double or more, at a time when food prices, transport costs and other essentials are already stretching incomes to breaking point. For low-income families, this is not merely an inconvenience. It is a direct threat to their ability to meet basic needs.
The call by National Congress Party (NCP) vice president Daniel Nyati for ERB to urgently review the tariff structure is therefore not political noise. It reflects a deep and widespread frustration. High electricity tariffs, especially under a prepaid system, are unsustainable in a country where many citizens are grappling with unemployment, informal incomes and stagnant wages.
Electricity affordability cannot be separated from the broader cost of living crisis. It is also a question of equity that a fair tariff system should ensure that essential services like electricity do not become exclusive to those who can afford them, while leaving the most vulnerable to bear the heaviest burden.
Similarly, Golden Party of Zambia president Jackson Silavwe’s appeal to revert to the old billing system for residential consumers deserves careful consideration. While reforms are often necessary to ensure efficiency, sustainability and investment in the power sector, reforms that leave the majority of consumers feeling poorer and more anxious undermine public trust.
A billing system that shocks households without adequate cushioning or clear explanation risks being perceived as punitive rather than progressive. Transparency alone is insufficient, consumers must feel that the system is fair, predictable and aligned with their means.
Zesco Limited has attempted to explain the situation by pointing to the new ERB tariff model that took effect in November 2025, as well as increased electricity availability leading to higher consumption. While these explanations may be technically sound, they fail to address the core issue of affordability.
It does not give comfort to consumers to be told that more power is available if that power is increasingly unaffordable to use. Receiving only 35 units per K100 may make sense mathematically, but for households juggling multiple bills and basic needs, the reality is that electricity has become an added strain.
ERB must ask a fundamental question. Does the current tariff structure align with Zambia’s socio-economic realities? Regulation should strike a balance between the financial viability of the utility and the welfare of consumers.
A system that deepens hardship risks driving households toward unsafe alternatives such as charcoal, firewood or illegal connections, undermining both public safety and environmental goals. It could also exacerbate inequality, as wealthier consumers continue to access reliable electricity while the poor are forced to ration or go without.
This is a moment that calls for calm, inclusive, and transparent engagement. ERB should urgently review the tariff model, not just from a technical standpoint, but from a human one.
Targeted relief measures for low-income households, clearer communication on billing calculations, and possibly a tiered lifeline tariff for basic domestic use could go a long way toward restoring public confidence.
Electricity should empower households, not impoverish them. As Zambians continue to tighten their belts amid rising living costs, policymakers must ensure that access to power remains a bridge to better living standards and not adding another weight dragging families deeper into hardship.
Affordable electricity is not just a necessity; it is a right, and failure to address these concerns risks turning one of Zambia’s most essential services into a source of frustration and inequality.
