ESCOM :: Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Where can I check my bills?
A:	Customers may check bills through the website: check bills online or any one of ESCOM offices scattered through out the country. ESCOM sends out the bills directly to customers monthly.
Q: Where can I pay for my bills?
A:	Customers can make payment for their bills through any of the following: ESCOM Revenue Offices Malawi Savings Bank National Bank ATM’s National Bank counter Standard Bank counter Other details are available on the Customer Services Link
Q: Where can I report faults?
A:	Faults can be reported at various faults centres located across the country. Specific areas and their respective faults centres with their contact details can be found on this link: Fault Reporting
Q: Why does it take long to get customers connected after paying for a new connection?
A:	Normally all things being available, ESCOM is supposed to connect a customer within 30 days of making payment for the new connection. However due to a number of various reasons, this has proven a difficult target to meet. These include: Shortage of forex as most of the materials are imported from outside the country Cash flow problems that have emanated from other commitments like the Tedzani I and II rehabilitation project that has required huge sums of money in investments. Bottlenecks in the procurement process. These factors withstanding, ESCOM does connect customers albeit at a slower than it would have loved. But ESCOM expects to drastically improve the connections rate after Tedzani I and II rehabilitation completion in after August 2008
Q: Why does ESCOM carry out Load shedding?
A:	Load shedding is carried out when the power demanded on the system exceeds supply. If load shedding is not carried out may result in the system collapsing
Q: Why is load shedding not carried out late at night or at other times when customers don’t need the power?
A:	Load shedding is carried out during peak hours when demand far exceeds supply. This is especially so at times that we call peak hours. The peak hours are 05:00 - 7:00 in the morning, 12:00 - 13:30 in the afternoon and 17:30 - 20:30 in the evening. Power supply is dynamic in that it is demand driven to the effect that power is sent out onto the system as per demand. What it means is that when the demand is less, power sent out is also scaled down to the extent of even switching off machines at times
Q: Why is Load shedding selective?
A:	The selection of supply lines to be switched off during load shedding is determined by the amount of load drawn and is not attached to any other factors. ESCOM does not favour one location over the other. All areas and locations are subjected to load shedding whether high density or low density. At times some areas are left out as they happen to be on the same lines that supply critical institutions and areas such as hospitals, state residences, security installations and other utilities.
Q: What is ESCOM doing to minimize and stop load shedding once and for all?
A:	ESCOM is currently rehabilitating its Tedzani I and II power station which when complete in August 2008 will restore into the system 40MW. This is expected to have a have a huge impact as it will mean we will have excess capacity of about 34MW against the registered maximum demand so far. But this will not last for long as projections show demand will far exceed supply come 2009 meaning ESCOM maybe forced to carry out load shedding again. In realization of this ESCOM is speeding up the completion of Kapichira phase II that is expected to bring in some 64MW into the system. In addition ESCOM is actively pursuing with the help of government the Malawi-Mozambique project which is going to give us an additional buffer in case of shortages.
Q: How can customers help minimize load shedding?
A:	To reduce the impact and probability of load shedding, customers are encouraged to use power sparingly by among other things observing the following at all times: Switching off lights in rooms not in use Switching off geysers and heaters when not in use Cooking and ironing during day Switching off office lights and air conditioners and other unnecessary appliances when knocking off General controlled use of other electrical appliances Use of energy saver bulbs and fluorescent tubes which use less energy than the ordinary bulbs Pumping water during off peak hours