Is ZiG 500 of ZESA always 157.6 units?

No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the answer depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. 157.6 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 ZiG 500 of ZESA last?

ZiG 500 buys 157.6 kWh, which is about 12 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.

ZETDC tariffs effective 2026-09-21

How many ZESA units is ZiG 500

ZiG 500 buys 157.6 kWh of prepaid electricity in Zimbabwe — as your first purchase this month, including the 6% REA levy.

Five hundred ZWG is a common round-number top-up, and it is big enough to cross into the mid bands. That crossing is why the units it buys move noticeably whenever ZERA adjusts even one band price.

Band-by-band breakdown

ZESA charges in six steps each month. Here is exactly where ZiG 500 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	57.6	4.5169	ZWG 260.03
Total	157.6	—	ZWG 500.00 (≈ US$17.73)

That is 39% of your 400 kWh discounted monthly quota. Anything above the quota in the same month is charged at the top band rate.

What ZiG 500 actually runs

157.6 kWh is about 12 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	2.2 days
Stove plate	2,000 W	3.3 days
Kettle (2 L)	2,000 W	3.3 days
Iron	1,200 W	5.5 days
Microwave	1,000 W	6.6 days
Borehole pump (1 hp)	750 W	8.8 days
TV + decoder	120 W	55 days
Five LED bulbs	50 W	131 days
Wi-Fi router	10 W	657 days
Fridge / freezer	1.2 kWh/day	131 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 157.6 kWh cost ZWG 500.28 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. ZiG 500 lands nearest to 150 units.

Already bought units this month?

Then ZiG 500 buys less than 157.6 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 ZiG 500 of ZESA always 157.6 units?: No. ZESA uses a stepped tariff, so the answer depends on how much you have already bought this calendar month. 157.6 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 ZiG 500 of ZESA last?: ZiG 500 buys 157.6 kWh, which is about 12 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.

How many ZESA units is ZiG 500?