By Cleopatra Nankonde
ZESCO Limited has reduced electricity supply to residential customers from seven to five hours per day, following a sudden loss of 150 Megawatts due to an emergency shutdown at Maamba Energy Limited.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ZESCO Corporate Affairs Manager Rose Sibisi announced that the power shortage has forced the utility into Stage 10 of its load management program.
“This development further constrains our already tight power supply situation,” Ms Sibisi said, urging domestic users to use electricity sparingly.
Despite the reduction, ZESCO assured that critical sectors such as health facilities, water treatment plants, security installations, and industrial customers will continue receiving power as scheduled. Farmers and other commercial clients have also been exempted from changes in supply.
ZESCO has appealed to consumers to help conserve energy by switching off unused lights and minimizing the use of high-energy appliances like geysers and heaters.
With no timeline given for restoring full capacity, residents are being encouraged to prepare for longer periods without electricity.
The utility company says it is closely monitoring the situation and will update the public as circumstances evolve.
