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MEGA in Dire Need of Electricity Meters

The Mulanje Electricity Generation Agency (MEGA) says it has a capacity of connecting three thousand houses to its electricity grid but due to inadequate finances to procure electricity meters, it has only connected 1, 600 houses.

MEGA Operations Manager Samuel Mambo says currently they are producing 220 kilowatts from their Bondo 1, 2 and 3 power houses from Lichenya River that can be supplied to some more 1,400 houses.

“There has been exorbitant increase of prices of electricity materials and as MEGA we are struggling to raise finances to buy more meters, currently at K60, 000 each including the landing cost” said Mambo.

He said this on Wednesday when Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola visited Bondo 3 power house.

Matola in his speech said government is depending on mini grids to increase the number of electricity connected houses in the country.

“We appreciate the challenges private power producers are facing in purchasing electricity materials and as government we promise to address the electricity meter challenge at MEGA so that more people at Bondo and surrounding communities should have electricity in their homes,” said Matola.

Later, the minister visited a beneficiary of Bondo hydro scheme Mr. Emmanuel Sulupi who runs welding, video show and modified maize mill businesses.

Apart from ordinary houses, MEGA has also connected nine primary schools, two secondary schools, Bondo health centre and churches to its grid. 

Connection fee for a dwelling house according to Mambo is as cheap as K5, 000.

On electricity charges, Mambo said for business, they charge K105 per kilowat per hour, for domestic, its K80 per kilowatt per hour and for social service its K40 per kilowatt per hour.

Bondo Hydro Power Scheme has transformed the area socially and economically with maize mills, barber shops, hair dressing saloons, video shows and welding shops all over the area.

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