THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has rejected Zesco’s application for an emergency tariff hike, noting that increased tariffs would inevitably increase the cost of living and worsen the current state of affairs. Last Sunday, ERB said it had received an application from Zesco for the approval of an emergency tariff adjustment for its Residential, Commercial and Maximum Demand customer categories. The adjustment was expected to impact approximately 44 percent of customers, or 417,365 households, with tariffs rising between 50 percent and 156 percent. Addressing the media, Friday, ERB Board Chairperson James Banda said Zesco’s application was rejected due to its unintended consequences such as inflationary pressures. He noted that despite Zesco’s proposed increase in tariffs, the utility did not intend...