ZETDC tariffs effective 2026-09-21
How many ZESA units is US$20
US$20 buys 171.7 kWh of prepaid electricity in Zimbabwe — as your first purchase this month, including the 6% REA levy.
Converted at the published reference rate of ≈ 28.2 ZWG per US$, i.e. about ZWG 564.00. You pay ZETDC in ZWG unless you use a USD channel.
Twenty dollars reaches into the mid bands, so the units you get are less than double what ten dollars buys. That gap is the stepped tariff working exactly as designed, not a vendor taking a cut.
Band-by-band breakdown
ZESA charges in six steps each month. Here is exactly where US$20 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 | 71.7 | 4.5169 | ZWG 324.03 |
| Total | 171.7 | — | ZWG 564.00 (≈ US$20.00) |
That is 43% of your 400 kWh discounted monthly quota. Anything above the quota in the same month is charged at the top band rate.
What US$20 actually runs
171.7 kWh is about 13 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 | 2.4 days |
| Stove plate | 2,000 W | 3.6 days |
| Kettle (2 L) | 2,000 W | 3.6 days |
| Iron | 1,200 W | 6 days |
| Microwave | 1,000 W | 7.2 days |
| Borehole pump (1 hp) | 750 W | 9.5 days |
| TV + decoder | 120 W | 60 days |
| Five LED bulbs | 50 W | 143 days |
| Wi-Fi router | 10 W | 716 days |
| Fridge / freezer | 1.2 kWh/day | 143 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 171.7 kWh cost ZWG 564.32 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$20 lands nearest to 150 units.
Already bought units this month?
Then US$20 buys less than 171.7 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$20 of ZESA always 171.7 units?
- No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the answer depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. 171.7 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$20 of ZESA last?
- US$20 buys 171.7 kWh, which is about 13 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.