Escom losing billions to illegal connection
By Jarson Malowa:
Sole state-run electricity supplier, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) has lamented loss of billions of kwacha due to illegal connections and vandalism.
Escom Public Relations Manager, Innocent Chitosi, said this during the launch of a 12-day-sensitisation campaign against the vice.
The campaign, which commenced on Monday, targets people in Machinga and Balaka districts among others.
“A single transformer costs us about K40 million. So, when a number of transformers get damaged due to a fault, we are repeatedly incurring the same costs resulting to billions lost,” Chitosi said.
He said illegal extension also results in voltage overload, which is risky.
A business operator at Ofesi Trading Centre in Machinga, Jackson Likolya said the sensitisation was timely as it will create awareness to help fight illegal connections.
In recent months, Escom has been disconnecting power at illegally connected business places and houses, mainly in the country’s major cities.
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