The Sunday Mail
Proposals by Zesa to migrate to smart meters could curb electricity theft and increase revenue and efficient energy management, an energy and ICT expert has said.
In an interview last week, Connect the World managing director Mr Ben Mavedzenge said the gadgets could reduce load-shedding without increasing current power generation capacity.
Connect the World is one of the companies Zesa contracted to install pre-paid meters.
“One of the main advantages of the smart meter grid system is that it comes with Meter Data Management, a central system that enables remote communication with installed smart meters countrywide,” he said.
“It supports detection and real time reporting of a minimum of tamper and fraud modes, such as line taps, magnetic tamper, cover tamper, phase loss, phase inversion, phase reversal, meter by-pass, unauthorised tariff change attempts, etc.”
Mr Mavedzenge said the system was equipped with software that allowed the power utility to limit clients to smaller appliances such as lights, televisions and radio sets.
“The technology enables Zesa to determine the amount of electricity it wants to give to people, for instance, it can choose to give the amount of electricity which only works on smaller appliances.
“If the customer decides to connect heavier appliances, it will be automatically disconnected,” he said.
“This means instead there will not be a complete blackout during load shedding, customers can at least have lights and entertainment.”
Mr Mavedzenge said the smart meter system allowed consumers to sell electricity to Zesa during peak hours through supplying the main grid with alternative power generated from solar panels and generators.
