ZETDC tariffs effective 2026-09-21
How much is 50 units of ZESA
50 units (kWh) of prepaid electricity costs ZWG 112.93 — about US$4.00 — as your first purchase this month, including the 6% REA levy.
Fifty units is exactly the first band — the cheapest electricity ZETDC sells, and the only purchase where every single unit is charged at the entry rate. It is also the most efficient top-up in the month: nothing you buy afterwards will ever cost this little per unit again until the quota resets.
Band-by-band breakdown
ZESA charges in six steps each month. Here is exactly what 50 units costs.
| Band | Units | ZWG/unit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| First 50 units | 50.0 | 2.2585 | ZWG 112.93 |
| Total | 50.0 | — | ZWG 112.93 (≈ US$4.00) |
That is 13% of your 400 kWh discounted monthly quota. Anything above the quota in the same month is charged at the top band rate.
What 50 units actually runs
50.0 kWh is about 3.8 days for a household that would otherwise burn through the whole 400 kWh quota in a month. Spent on one appliance at a time, it goes this far:
| Appliance | Typical draw | Runs for |
|---|---|---|
| Electric geyser (150 L) | 3,000 W | 16 h 40 min |
| Stove plate | 2,000 W | 25 h |
| Kettle (2 L) | 2,000 W | 25 h |
| Iron | 1,200 W | 41 h 40 min |
| Microwave | 1,000 W | 2.1 days |
| Borehole pump (1 hp) | 750 W | 2.8 days |
| TV + decoder | 120 W | 17 days |
| Five LED bulbs | 50 W | 42 days |
| Wi-Fi router | 10 W | 208 days |
| Fridge / freezer | 1.2 kWh/day | 42 days |
Wattages are typical nameplate figures for appliances sold in Zimbabwe, not metered readings — treat them as a guide to where your units go.
Average price you pay
ZWG 112.93 for 50 units works out at ZWG 2.2585 per kWh across the bands you touch — your last unit is charged in the “First 50 units” band at ZWG 2.2585.
Versus the last schedule
The same 50 units cost ZWG 112.99 under the schedule effective 2026-09-18 (September 2026) — a change of -0.1%. See every schedule.
Starting from money instead?
ZiG 100 is the closest common purchase — it buys about 44.3 kWh.
Already bought units this month?
Then 50 units costs more than ZWG 112.93, because your cheap bands are already used. The calculator takes that into account — enter what you have bought so far.
Open the ZESA calculator →Other unit amounts
- 100 units = ZWG 239.97
- 150 units = ZWG 465.81
- 200 units = ZWG 691.66
- 250 units = ZWG 1,016.31
- 300 units = ZWG 1,340.97
- 400 units = ZWG 2,046.74
See every amount · Current tariff table · How rates have moved
Questions
- Is 50 units of ZESA always ZWG 112.93?
- No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the price depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. ZWG 112.93 assumes this is your first purchase of the month, starting from the cheapest band. Later purchases in the same month cost more per unit.
- Can I pay for ZESA in US dollars?
- ZETDC bills in ZWG. The ≈ US$4.00 figure uses the published reference rate of about 28.2 ZWG per US$; USD payment channels convert at the rate they offer on the day.
- How long does 50 units of ZESA last?
- About 3.8 days for a household that would otherwise use its full 400 kWh quota in a month (≈ 13.3 kWh a day). Run less than that and it stretches further: 50 units is 16 h 40 min of a 3 kW geyser, or 42 days of a fridge on its own.
- Do these prices include the REA levy?
- Yes. Every figure on this page includes the 6% Rural Electrification levy, exactly as ZETDC charges it. Rates are the ZERA-approved schedule effective 2026-09-21.