By Mthulisi Nxumalo

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has launched a nationwide awareness campaign on the Electricity (Energy Management) Regulations, 2026, also known as Statutory Instrument 122 of 2026 (SI 122), with Gweru hosting the first awareness workshop this week.

The regulations provide a framework to improve energy efficiency, reduce wastage, and strengthen the management of electricity consumption, including through energy audits and energy management systems.

Speaking at the workshop at Fairmile Hotel in Gweru on 6 October, ZERA Chief Engineer (Electricity) Victor Sibanda said the exercise was not limited to the Midlands and would extend to other provinces.

“This is a nationwide exercise. We have started here in Gweru, and we are going to take it to other provinces,” Sibanda said.

He also urged technical personnel to avoid using complicated technical language when explaining energy management issues to company executives and decision-makers.

“We need to deviate from explaining some of these issues and matters using technical language so that our bosses can understand and appreciate the importance of these issues and be able to spend money on them,” he said.

Sibanda said energy management should not be seen as an issue for engineers and technical departments alone, but should be understood by those responsible for financial and operational decisions within organizations.

He also stressed the importance of energy audits, saying the practice should extend beyond companies and into households.

“Even at household level, we should be able to do energy audits. Individuals should be able to read and analyze their energy receipts,” Sibanda said.

He said understanding electricity consumption would help households and organizations identify waste and make informed decisions about using energy more efficiently.

Sibanda also encouraged companies that attended the workshop, including ZESA and BATA, to consider appointing energy management officers in their workplaces to coordinate energy-efficiency initiatives.

“Companies should have energy management officers in their workplaces,” he said.

He further highlighted the scale of Zimbabwe’s energy consumption, noting that the country consumes about 3 000 kilotons of oil equivalent, underscoring the need for more efficient energy use.

SI 122 of 2026, gazetted on July 31, introduces energy management measures, including mandatory energy audits for designated facilities and the promotion of energy management systems aligned with the ISO 50001 series.

The Gweru workshop was therefore largely an awareness exercise aimed at helping businesses and other energy users understand the new requirements before implementation and compliance become a major issue.

Sibanda said improving understanding of the regulations among both technical and non-technical personnel was essential if organizations were to invest meaningfully in energy efficiency.