Online Reporter
Mutare Bureau
The Government is finalising new regulations that will compel large electricity users to closely monitor, report and reduce their power consumption, in a move aimed at curbing wastage, easing pressure on the national grid and improving supply reliability.
The proposed measures will require high-volume consumers – particularly in mining, manufacturing, agro-processing and large commercial operations – to adopt structured energy management systems.
These will include installing smart metering and monitoring equipment, conducting regular energy audits, identifying inefficiencies in operations and investing in energy-efficient technologies such as modern machinery, efficient lighting and automated control systems.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital LED Lighting Retrofit Project last week, Energy and Power Development Permanent Secretary, Dr Gloria Magombo, said the regulations would fundamentally change how major consumers use electricity.
“As Government, through our energy efficiency programme, we are working towards promulgating regulations that will ensure major users account for all the electricity they consume and put measures in place to reduce waste,” she said.
Under the framework, large users will be expected to track where and how electricity is consumed within their operations, pinpoint areas of excessive usage – such as outdated equipment, inefficient production processes or unnecessary lighting – and implement corrective measures to cut demand.
The regulations are also expected to introduce reporting obligations, where companies periodically submit data on energy use and efficiency improvements, enabling authorities to monitor compliance and benchmark performance across sectors.
“For many years, electricity was viewed as a passive commodity. People simply switched on power without considering the cost or the strain placed on the national system. That narrative is changing. We are moving from being passive consumers to becoming responsible custodians of our energy resources,” said Dr Magombo.
She said beyond easing pressure on the grid, the measures would deliver direct economic benefits to businesses.
“When institutions and companies use efficient technologies, they reduce their electricity bills. Those savings can then be channelled into expansion, wages, production and service delivery,” she said.
Zimbabwe has faced periodic power shortages due to ageing infrastructure, rising demand and limited generation capacity, making demand-side management increasingly important alongside efforts to expand supply.
Dr Magombo said while investment in new power plants and imports remained critical, reducing wasteful consumption was now equally urgent.
“We cannot rely on building new power plants alone. We must also reduce demand on the existing systems,” she said.
She described energy efficiency as the country’s “first fuel”, noting that every unit of electricity saved effectively increases available supply.
“Every unit of electricity saved is a unit made available for industry, hospitals, schools and households. Energy efficiency is like creating a virtual power station,” she said.
The Government has in recent years stepped up efforts to improve electricity availability through regional power imports, rehabilitation of existing plants, renewable energy investments and increased private sector participation.
Dr Magombo said recent improvements in supply reliability have partly been driven by conservation and efficiency measures already being implemented.
“We have seen better reliability in recent months, and some of that is because of interventions that reduce unnecessary demand on the grid,” she said.
The new regulations are expected to reduce peak demand, limit load shedding, lower production costs for industry and delay the need for expensive emergency power generation.
They will also align Zimbabwe with global best practice, where governments are increasingly requiring large electricity consumers to meet efficiency standards and disclose their energy performance.
Dr Magombo said Government was also promoting a broader culture of responsible energy use across the economy, urging households, offices and institutions to adopt simple conservation habits.
She encouraged consumers to switch off unused appliances, lighting and air conditioning systems, noting that small actions, when multiplied across the country, could significantly reduce overall demand.
“Energy must be used well, conserved and applied in the most efficient way possible,” she said.
She added that reliable and affordable electricity would be critical in supporting Zimbabwe’s ambition to attain upper-middle-income status by 2030.
