ZESA Subsidiary, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), has said it will compensate electricity users who suffer losses due to power surges.
Power and Energy Development Minister Zhemu Soda told The Sunday Mail Business in an interview that ZETDC, a power transmission unit of ZESA Holdings, had a facility to decrease losses incurred by customers owing to sudden increases in voltage.
A power surge is usually an oversupply of the voltage from a source to appliances or equipment.
A boost in electricity supply above the normal operating voltage can cause severe damages to the appliances. A power outage may occur when or during the restoration of electricity after a power loss. Minister Soda said:
There is an insurance policy to cover for such losses and a process of validation will be done to ascertain the loss before compensation.
Many households normally use surge protectors to protect their appliances.
Surges slowly deteriorate and shorten the life of the equipment or appliances.
Household and office appliances at risk of power surges include air conditioning units, entertainment equipment, computers, refrigerators, ovens and stoves and lighting.
Scores of power users have been suffering losses after electricity surges with the majority of them unaware of recourse routes to follow.
More: The Sunday Mail