Some debates refuse to die, even when facts are seated comfortably in front of us with their legs crossed. One of them is the popular complaint that “ZESCO units are finishing too fast.” It sounds dramatic, it trends easily, and it feels good to blame someone. But common sense demands we pause and ask a simple question what has really changed? The answer is not mysterious, and it is not hidden in ZESCO offices. It is sitting right there in our homes, plugged into the wall. During load shedding, electricity was like a visitor who came briefly and left early.
We cooked less, heated less water, ironed fewer clothes, and postponed many things. Units appeared to last longer not because they were magical, but because power was not always available to be used.
Now power is available almost 24 hours. That means stoves are back on, geysers are heating water freely, kettles are boiling more often, irons are working without interruption, and even inverters and batteries are quietly recharging from ZESCO. Naturally, more usage means faster unit consumption. That is not theft. That is physics doing its job without emotions. Here is a simple example. Imagine buying 100 litres of fuel. When your car is parked most of the time, that fuel lasts long and you feel proud. When you start driving every day, the same 100 litres finish faster. The petrol station did not steal from you. The car just moved more. Electricity works the
same way. If a geyser is left on the whole day, or a stove is forgotten after cooking, units will disappear fast because they are being used fast. ZESCO cannot remotely remove your units, cannot speed up your meter, and has not secretly increased tariffs. The meters only measure what you consume.
The Office of Common Sense therefore asks citizens to look at ZESCO honestly and fairly. ZESCO is not a perfect institution, but on this matter, it is not stealing your units. It operates to serve the people of Zambia, and because people expect a lot from it, emotions run high. That is understandable. But understanding how electricity works helps us protect our wallets and our homes. The solution is not anger, rumours, or shouting. The solution is awareness, discipline, and teaching everyone in the house that switching off is not a suggestion, it is survival. Common sense conclusion your units are not finishing faster because ZESCO has changed. They are finishing faster because power has returned and life has resumed. Use electricity wisely, and the units will behave.
