Electricity tariffs hiked in Malawi from Jan 1: Escom says will minimise load shedding

December 23, 2015 Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 69 Comments

The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) Board has resolved that ESCOM electricity tariffs be increased from January 1 2016.

According to Mera board chair Dingiswayo Jere, tariffs will go up from an average of MK40.69/kWh to MK53.69/kWh (or$0.08 per KWh)

Meanwhile, Escom officials say they are minimising load shedding in Malawi because water levels in Shire River have risen following heavy rains in the past days.

Andrew Mbewe, Escom manager for southern region said in a paid up programme on Capital Radio that the situation should now improve following the rains that are falling constantly.

“Things should improve now,” said Mbewe whose company generates 351 megawatts of electricity which is not enough for the country due to high demand.

Mbewe said the situation this year was worse as the company had to loadshed even in industrial areas apart from hospitals, saying the waters levels in Shire were extremely low.

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69 replies on “Electricity tariffs hiked in Malawi from Jan 1: Escom says will minimise load shedding”

  1. I do not know why there is no transparency in ESCOm and MERa!
    Give us a cost analyisis, how it comes to this cost!
    But whatI know, that even with this unit price of 53 Kwacha pro kWh you can’t produce electricity with your planned Chinese Coalfired Plant of 300 MB.
    Is this the reason why you increase!? Than please tell the nation !

  2. Izi ndi zina mwa zifukwa zomwe DPP idzalephelere zisankho mu 2019. If i were Pitala i could have stoped partying and start sorting out the ESCOM mess now.

  4. Onse ophunzira ali ku ESCOM ndi mbuzi zodya dothi msipu uli phee!. Ndiye vuto la ma Degree otengera mkubera mayeso ndi kuloweza. Lero ndi izi, education with no value.Fire these dead woods and employ wazunguzi. We will see the difference.

  5. You are hitting us hard to extent that we can’t afford electricity anymore.
    My plea is can staff from escom start paying for electricity as well. Am disappointed to learn that some staff from escom have units which can be used for 10 years. Or else any statuary organisation staff should follow suit.People working for Admarc should be given free fertiliser etc. Why only them ? They should pay to feel the pinch as well
    Let’s debate

  6. Mukuti Madzi adzdza mushire, magesi ayamba kuyenda bwino ndiyeno kukweza matarrifko kusonyeza kuti madziwo mwachita kukaoda ku UK kuti adzadze mushiremo? Mundiyankhe!!!

  9. komanso bungwe la MERA lithe.phindu lake nchiyani?Ndipo a pulezident ndi nduna come on tizidula msonkho tonse mwina mungaleke kumangopanga timabungwe tazii tomangoononga ndipo NICE mumthesa ija ndya phindu timakawerengako nyuzi nkumapeza ma vacancies koma mera imatani?Awelengi anzanga ndiuzen ngat mera ili ndi phindu.

  10. tavomera koma pasapezeke ma black out kungotero sitilora komanso mutimva.kod a Kapito muli kuti?Tiyeni timache basi mumamacha za mbwerera izitu nzomveka kumachira vuto la Malawi.Angotengatu adzungu dzikoli ife ma blakii talephera.mukuona bwanji?

  11. When was the last time Escom raised tariffs? Its just a few months ago. Can you explain clearly why you are raising the tariffs? the problem is that you govt deny other electricity companies to open businesses here, otherwise we couldn’t be in this shitty mess.

  12. Indeed the rich will become richer while the poor will have many children. Why is the cry of poor malawians always not heard? Kodi tipange chani iwe Petua?

  13. What changes are you talking about you ESCOM people water levels water levels so what.price will rise up just because shire river has enough water, check out, you what people stop using electricity deviate to so called makala,so how could people conserve nature. You are the one send to continue destroy nature

  15. Once the tariffs are high, the water levels will also be high. What is the main reason for power poor service? Is it low tariffs or low water levels. If it was low water levels, this time would your time to sing comfort comfort my people by reducing tariffs. Now that water levels are increasing, the tariffs are also being hiked. Mitengo ya zinthu will also be hiked, ma salary athu ndi mwano okhaokha timazimvera uja

  20. Am telling u these dogs so called ESCOM shaaa anthu opanda chisoni & amabungwe m’malo moyankhula they are quite adikira amvenso kuti amuna kapena akazi okhaokha akukwerana ndiye muwamva alankhula zitsiru zokhazokha time is coming God will judge u fools.

  23. Komatu pitalayu wationjeza, nayo kwacha askuyigwila bwino.
    Pitala ukungoyenela upume basi, dziko lathu likukhala ngati likuyenda lokha.

    Naye Mzako wodulila ndevu uja , akungonamiza amalawi, inamukanika airtel nanga dziko angayendese ?

  24. zachamba eti raising tariffs so that few should access electricity nde muziti u’ve improved nonsense

  29. Phunzirani kunena chilungamo kuti zinthu zivuta kuposa apa mu January ngakhale mwakweza ma tarrifs ndi dyera chabe.

  31. interesting…
    so Mr mbewe et al; are we saying that once the rain season is over and the water levels return to the ill-normal, the rates will be reduced again???

    its really crazy in this time and age to continue paying high for a poor service. No govt seems to be coming with a solution. Poor Malawi!!!

  32. So is it MERA or escom regional manager? Has MERa received approval for this slap in the face of consumers? Has MERA any thoughts about the environmental costs of their actions? It’s like power or no power, wreck the green environment due to cost or inconvenience. It high time the two were linked, at least in my view.

  34. Too Much Now, MERA Whts Yo Duty Bcoz Just 2 Months Ago Tariffs Were Raised Wthout Notice But I Verified Wth Escom After I Obsevd Aukwad Bills & Now Mukulengeza Kuti Mukwezaso Mpakana Kuti A Malawi Tichitepo Kanthu Ationjeza A Escom Nd Mera Yawoyo Sindikuonaso Phindu Lawo Kwa Ife, Its Just An Authorised Exploitative Body

  35. I hav checked on the net and found the charge of $0.08/Kwh is one of the lowest in the world. But what I find a problem is it seems ESCOM makes a lot of money despite its services being so horribly poor, chaotic and undependable. ESCOM generates 351 megawatts of electricity and at $0.08/kwh it realises almost K18 million per hour which is K150 billion per year. Where does all this money go because K150 billion is almost 15% of our annual national budget? For all I see its only ESCOMs appetite for state of the art vehicles which show it is a such money spinner.

  38. What a new year welcome. Hope our salaries will also increase accordingly. Malawian are paying a heavy price being citizen as become a curse.

  44. thats too much. on 1 November u did that and now in less than 3 months u r now coming up with another poisonous sting to our hungry pockets. Malawi Malawi eeee bola moyo

  45. We as customers should now brace for more load shedding, due to siltation. Just wait, ESCOM will confirm this, shortly.

  46. This ridiculous! You want to test the anger of the people? Power to the people, by the same others rise and others 4

  47. Thats a lie!!! Load shedding has minimised because companies that use a lot of electricity have shut down for the holidays!
    And Illovo one of the biggest consumers of magetsi in this land wont start up its machines until March 2016.

    Mr reporter, you mean you couldnt calculata that thats a whopping 32.5% increase?

  50. mukutiganizila koma anthuwambafe,salary ndiomweija inu akuluakulu mumalipilidwa ndi maministries ma company.mwakweza nthawi yolakwika kulo njala, tigule fertilizer ndima fees this is very bad,DPP yalephera kutumikila anthu

  51. But why are you squeezing us MERA & ESCOM? We are fed up with this behavior. To hell with you. Shupit zanu nonse.

  53. So akakweza ndalamayo azikagulira madzi othura mu Shire River kuti ma levels asamatsike during dry seasons? Am just thinking out loud.

  55. Brother Peter mwatiwonjeza. You are leading this nation as the pharaoh of Egypt. Mufuna tonse mdziko muno tikhale akuba etiiiiiii???????.

  56. Peter you are not helping Malawians. You will account for our suffering. You are running this country like the pharaoh of Egypt.

  58. KUKWEZA MAGETSI KWACHANI NDALALMA CHIPANGIRE KULEPHERA NDI K10 YOKHA KUPEREKA KWA WORKERS KUTI AONE SURE NAWONSO KOMA MABWANA MAKAMAKA UYU WAKU SECURITY KUKHOMERERA UWAFUNSE ANZAKO KUNALI A KASIYA AMAPANGA ZOMWE UKUPANGAZO NTHAWI YAKO YONZUNZIKA ILIPO YAMBIRI DIKILA

  62. The truth of the matter is that most of the companies have shut down as a result , there is less demand not about water levels has risen in the lake and Shire river.

  64. Kodi magetsi muzikweza every three months? Bungwe iri lichoke mmanja mwa boma la “Capitalism’ri” likutipatsa umphawi. Likukama mkaka ndi ng’ombe zoonda zomwe!

  65. Kuterokotu a Malawi tidzingotokota apa koma osapangapo kanthu? Dziko logona ngati ili sindinalionepo. Kapito amangotokota akangomunyemera basi. Mhhhhhhh

    We need to reject this nonsense at all cost

  66. I think khani yoti escom aigawe pakati ichitike mwa nsanga ndipo mukanangochotsa onse ku escom abwereko anew. Anthu awa corruption kuti akuyikire prepaid unyeme basi anyani achabe chabe, ena anapanga apply magetsi eight years ago simunawaikire koma ena lero ndi lero mwawaikira pliz Gawani escom komanso muwachotse ena ndi enawa.
    Kukweza magetsi kosalesedwa koma magetsi mikukwedza ndiye ati othima thimawa. Pliz stop that nonsense jere ukumva magetsi asakwere pano asiye zothima thimazi mdiye mudzakwexe uku ndiye kutisusura pa chilonda.

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