By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist
Africa-Press – Zambia. There is a growing and worrying attempt by some commentators and officials to confuse Zambians about why electricity units are finishing faster than before. The narrative being pushed is that nothing has really changed, that people are simply “using more power,” or that this is a technical illusion. This explanation is dishonest, insulting, and disconnected from the lived reality of millions of citizens.
The truth is simple and must be spoken plainly: *electricity tariffs have been adjusted upward under the current government through the Multi-Year Tariff Framework, and this has directly affected how quickly prepaid units are* consumed. No amount of public relations can erase what people see every day when they load power.
Under the Patriotic Front (PF) government, electricity tariffs were deliberately kept relatively low. This was a political choice meant to protect affordability for households, especially the poor and the working class. Yes, this approach created challenges for ZESCO, limited revenue, delayed maintenance, growing arrears, and underinvestment. That reality must be acknowledged honestly. But what cannot be denied is that *ordinary citizens could buy units and use them for a reasonable period without shock and confusion.
Since the UPND government took office in late 2021, Zambia has taken a clear policy direction toward so-called cost-reflective tariffs. This shift was formalized through the *Multi-Year Tariff Framework (MYTF) for 2023–2027,* approved by the Energy Regulation Board. On paper, this framework promises stability and sustainability for ZESCO. In practice, it has meant *higher effective electricity costs for many households,* especially those consuming beyond the lifeline threshold.
The situation was made worse by the introduction of *Emergency Tariffs between November 2024 and October 2025,* justified as a way to raise funds for power imports during shortages caused largely by drought and reduced hydropower generation. During this period, residential tariffs rose sharply, with the highest tier reaching about *K6.39 per kWh.* Even though these emergency tariffs officially ended in November 2025 and rates reverted to the MYTF structure, the damage to household budgets had already been done.
Today, under the *MYTF,* the tariff structure may look reasonable on paper with lifeline units (around the first 100 units) costing roughly *K0.44 per kWh* and the next tier around *K1.05 per kWh*, but the reality is that most urban households do not survive on lifeline consumption alone. Once a family crosses into higher tiers, the cost per unit rises progressively, and *this is* *why units now deplete much faster than they did in previous years.*
To tell citizens that nothing has changed is to lie. To blame consumers for “overusing electricity” without acknowledging tariff restructuring is to avoid accountability. The people are not foolish. They know that the same K200 which once lasted two or three weeks now barely survives a few days and they know it is not because their fridges, TVs, or irons suddenly became greedy.
Yes, drought has affected hydropower. Yes, ZESCO needs money to import electricity and maintain infrastructure. But truth to *power demands honesty.* The government must openly tell the nation that tariff adjustments not imagination, not myths are a major reason units are finishing faster. Only then can there be an honest national conversation about balancing affordability, energy security, and economic sustainability.
Electricity is not a luxury; it is a basic service that touches every home, every business, every school, and every clinic. Policies made in boardrooms must be explained transparently to the people who feel their impact daily. *Zambians deserve clarity, not spin. They deserve truth, not explanations that insult their intelligence.*
Speaking the truth may be uncomfortable, but silence and distortion hurt the nation far more.
Source: The Zambian Observer
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