The ManicaPost
Blessing Rwizi
ZIMBABWE Energy Regulatory Authority in partnership with Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ), held an outreach meeting with Mutare residents, to raise domestic consumers’ awareness on energy efficiency, alternative energy and Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
The meeting was held at ZAOGA Miracle Centre in Mutare on Wednesday.
More than 450 residents from Mutare’s high and medium density areas and small business communities attended the meeting.
Zimbabwe Electricity Transformation and Distribution Company was among the stakeholders who also attended the outreach programme.
The outreach programme targets to cover 90 percent of consumers in high-density areas and small business communities in all provinces.
It is meant to equip energy suppliers and consumers with the necessary knowledge of safe handling and use of the products.
LPG, electricity and solar energy safe use demonstrations we also conducted by ZERA so as part of educating the parents.
Speaking on behalf of ZERA executive director during the meeting, Engineer Andrew Guri, said: “As ZERA, we are mandated with consumer protection, so we agreed to put in place and increase consumer education and awareness programmes and to work with the CCZ in spearheading consumer education”.
“Our duty is also to ensure that prices fairly charged to consumers by licensees whilst being sufficient to allow licensees to obtain reasonable earnings.
We advise and educate consumers and licensees on the efficient use of energy as well as ensuring maximum access to affordable and environmentally sustainable energy by all consumers. Consumers should have safe, quality and reliable energy all the time” said Eng Guri.
“Once we notice that we have been given contaminated fuel, come straight or make a call to ZERA.
We will send our mobile fuel testing vehicle to the service station.
Please note that we do not test fuel from vehicle tanks because there are different fuels from different service stations that are put into that tank,” he added.
He advised energy consumers to support energy suppliers by paying their energy bills on time, use energy only for purposes in the contracted terms and tariff category, report all cases of vandalism and theft of the utility or energy service provider property as well as cooperate with and support programs on the effective and efficient use of energy.
In her remarks during the outreach meeting, CCZ executive director, Mrs Rose Siyachitema, urged those in attendance to educate fellow citizens on the use of energy. The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) is a statutory board established by the Energy Regulatory Authority Act [Chapter 13:23] of 2011, Mandated to regulate the procurement, production, transportation, transmission, distribution, importation and exportation of energy derived from any energy source.
Its target is to be a leader in energy regulatory excellence by 2025 as well as to provide a level playing field for safe, reliable and sustainable energy supply through effective regulation.
