Maximise your ZESA savings
ZESA pricing uses stepped tariffs that reset each month. If you have not used this month’s cheaper bands yet, timing when you buy can make a real difference to what you pay per unit.
The tariff “staircase” each month
Think of ZESA tariffs as a staircase you climb during the month. The first units you buy sit on the lowest steps (cheapest per kWh). As you buy more in the same month, you move up to higher steps where each unit costs more. On the first of each month, that staircase resets — so you start again from the cheapest steps for your next purchase cycle.
Illustrative prices per unit (ZWG, including RE levy) — see current ZESA tariffs for the latest figures.
The higher the step, the more you pay per unit. That is why when in the month you buy, and how much you buy at once, affects your average cost.
Why timing can matter
If you have not bought electricity since the start of the month, you are still on the lower steps for that month’s allocation. If you wait until after the month rolls over, you lose the chance to use this month’s cheaper bands before they reset.
This is general guidance only: your meter, usage, and whether a purchase counts as a “first purchase” for the month all affect what you see at checkout. When in doubt, use the ZESA calculator and your own purchase history.
A smarter way to stretch your budget
One approach some households use is splitting a large purchase across two months: buy part of what you need before the month ends so you use the lower steps now, then buy again after the reset so you climb from the bottom a second time. This only helps when you still have cheaper bands available — if you are unsure when you last bought, you can check on the ZETDC self-service portal.
For example, if you were going to buy 400 units in one go, buying 200 units before the month ends and 200 after the reset can mean more of your total units are bought at lower steps than if you bought all 400 in a single month after you have already climbed high on the staircase.
- Buy part of your plan this month — use the cheaper steps while they still apply to you.
- Buy the rest after the monthly reset — the staircase starts again from the bottom.
Everyone’s situation differs; the goal is to avoid paying more steps than you need for the same total units over time.
Compare two approaches
Split across two months
More of your units at lower steps
You use the lower steps twice — once before the reset and again in the new month — instead of climbing the full height in a single month.
Buy this month’s unitsOne large purchase after climbing
More units at higher steps
If you delay a big purchase until you have already moved up the staircase, a larger share of your units can fall in the more expensive bands.
Review current tariffsMake your next purchase an informed one
Use Magetsi’s ZESA tools — buy tokens, view history, and read tariffs — from one place on the ZESA portal.
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