ZETDC is owed in excess of ZiG$5,7 billion and is now introducing prepaid meters to medium and large-scale customers, including those in the manufacturing industry.

According to the latest Zesa figures, industry (at 50 percent), commerce and mining (at 12 percent each) make up 74 percent of the ZiG$5,7 billion owed to the power utility.

Domestic users owe Zesa a paltry one percent, but are worst affected when there are power blackouts despite paying for their electricity in advance.

The installation of prepaid meters to medium and large scale customers is likely to push them to install solar power plants and ultimately reduce the burden on the national grid.

In a notice on the introduction of prepayment billing for medium and large-scale electricity consumers, ZETDC said it was migrating the remaining postpaid points to prepayment.

"ZETDC would like to advise its valued customers that the migration of domestic and small business customers from the post-paid platform to the prepaid platform has progressed well with 95 percent of the customers on the new platform.

"This notice serves to advise that all medium and large customers in the commercial, industrial, tourism, mining sectors and institutions that are still on postpaid billing, will be required to prepay for their electricity consumption with effect from 1 October 2024," read the statement.

Zesa Holdings executive chairman Dr Sydney Gata recently said debtors were crippling the power utility's operations.

"We are owed more than ZiG 5,7 billion by several customers. Despite the supply shortages, we have had to resort to exporting electricity during non-peak hours to raise some foreign currency to meet our obligations," he said.

Addressing the media last week, Dr Gata also blamed vandalism for contributing to power outages.