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Michael Makuza, Business Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) has urged consumers to use electricity efficiently and adopt renewable energy sources.

The regulator has been rolling out nationwide campaigns on energy efficiency and last Friday a stakeholder engagement was hosted at Iminyela Hall in Bulawayo where Zera was joined by officials from the power utility, Zesa, and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) to engage residents.

Consumer Council of Zimbabwe

A senior Zera official who declined to be named said efficient use of electricity was critical at a time when the country is battling power outages amid reduced generation capacity from local plants.

“People should try to be efficient with electricity in order to help ease the power outages countrywide. We are here to educate you on how to use electricity efficiently and we are encouraging you to use the right lighting bulbs in your homes,” said the official.

“We are saying no to using incandescent lights or bulbs as they do not save electricity. We encourage you to buy light-emitting diodes (LED) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) as they are more energy-saving than incandescent lights.”

The Zera official also urged households to use solar to generate their own electricity at homes as it is also a good alternative source of energy, which is environmentally friendly.

Regional technical inspector, Mr Hugh Mlauzi, said the use of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an alternative to electricity was commendable.

Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority petroleum inspector Mr Hugh Mlauzi

“People should try to save electricity by using Liquid Petroleum Gas, which remains one of the best alternative sources of energy being used in urban and rural areas. That is why we are here to educate you on how to use gas at your homes,” he said.

Mr Mlauzi took the participants through the safe use of gas during which residents asked questions.
CCZ Matabeleland regional manager, Mr Comfort Muchekeza, said consumers should come forward when they have energy-related complaints.

CCZ Matabeleland regional manager, Mr Comfort Muchekeza

“As CCZ, we encourage people to visit us when they have challenges. We are teaching people how to use gas as it has replaced the use of firewood, paraffin, and electricity when cooking,” he said.