ZETDC tariffs effective 2026-09-21
How many ZESA units is US$100
US$100 buys 505.3 kWh of prepaid electricity in Zimbabwe — as your first purchase this month, including the 6% REA levy.
Converted at the published reference rate of ≈ 28.2 ZWG per US$, i.e. about ZWG 2,820.00. You pay ZETDC in ZWG unless you use a USD channel.
A hundred dollars is a whole-month buy for a full-electric home, and big enough that part of it can spill past the 400 kWh quota into top-band pricing. Splitting it across two calendar months is the easiest way to get more units for the same money.
Band-by-band breakdown
ZESA charges in six steps each month. Here is exactly where US$100 lands.
| Band | Units | ZWG/unit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| First 50 units | 50.0 | 2.2585 | ZWG 112.93 |
| 51 – 100 units | 50.0 | 2.5408 | ZWG 127.04 |
| 101 – 200 units | 100.0 | 4.5169 | ZWG 451.69 |
| 201 – 300 units | 100.0 | 6.4931 | ZWG 649.31 |
| 301 – 400 units | 100.0 | 7.0577 | ZWG 705.77 |
| Above 400 units | 105.3 | 7.3400 | ZWG 773.26 |
| Total | 505.3 | — | ZWG 2,820.00 (≈ US$100.00) |
That is 126% of your 400 kWh discounted monthly quota. Anything above the quota in the same month is charged at the top band rate.
What US$100 actually runs
505.3 kWh is about 38 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 | 7 days |
| Stove plate | 2,000 W | 11 days |
| Kettle (2 L) | 2,000 W | 11 days |
| Iron | 1,200 W | 18 days |
| Microwave | 1,000 W | 21 days |
| Borehole pump (1 hp) | 750 W | 28 days |
| TV + decoder | 120 W | 175 days |
| Five LED bulbs | 50 W | 421 days |
| Wi-Fi router | 10 W | 2,106 days |
| Fridge / freezer | 1.2 kWh/day | 421 days |
Wattages are typical nameplate figures for appliances sold in Zimbabwe, not metered readings — treat them as a guide to where your units go.
Versus the last schedule
The same 505.3 kWh cost ZWG 2,821.58 under the schedule effective 2026-09-18 (September 2026) — a change of -0.1%, which is why the same note buys a different number of units month to month. See every schedule.
Or start from the units
Working the other way round — what a fixed number of units costs as a first purchase this month. US$100 lands nearest to 400 units.
Already bought units this month?
Then US$100 buys less than 505.3 kWh, 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 amounts
See every amount · Current tariff table · How rates have moved
Questions
- Is US$100 of ZESA always 505.3 units?
- No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the answer depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. 505.3 kWh assumes this is your first purchase of the month, starting from the cheapest band. Later purchases in the same month buy fewer units for the same money.
- How long does US$100 of ZESA last?
- US$100 buys 505.3 kWh, which is about 38 days for a household that would otherwise use its full 400 kWh monthly quota (≈ 13.3 kWh a day). Use less than that and it lasts proportionally longer.
- 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.