Mera courts energy players on electricity by-laws

The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) on Monday asked players in the energy sector from the Northern Region to familiarise themselves with the electricity by-laws of 2012.

Speaking at the third by-laws sensitisation workshop in Mzuzu, Mera chief executive officer Raphael Kamoto said the by-laws will help them appreciate how they can be used to promote businesses and improve service delivery.

“We are trying to make energy suppliers offer good services and ensure that there is consistency in the quality of supplies to consumers,” he said.

One of the participants, an electrician from Karonga Prevention Studies, Martin Longwe, bemoaned Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom)’s poor quality services.

“Almost on daily basis, we experience low voltage below 220 volts, in worst cases we go as low as 210 volts which damages our equipment and affect operations,” he complained.

Escom district engineer for Mzuzu, Rumphi and Mzimba Thomas Mzumara attributed the low voltage to loss of machines at Wovwe Power Station.

“We assist individual customers by tapping up their transformers to improve the voltages,” he said.

However, Mera’s director (technical regulator) Welton Saiwa was tough on the electricity provider, saying the regulator cannot tolerate low voltage.

“Whether Escom has lost equipment, Mera will not tolerate low voltage; it’s ±6 percent, the by-laws do not provide any options,” he warned.

The Electricity Act of 2004 empowers Mera to issue various electricity licences, approve electricity tariffs and power purchase and sales contracts and monitoring and enforcing acceptable quality service delivery to customers.

Part VII of the by-law ensures that customers receive safe and reliable electricity.