About 480 electricity consumers in Zambia have so far benefited from a relief package introduced by the country's power utility to cushion them against the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a spokesperson said on Saturday.

Zesco Limited Spokesperson Henry Kapata said the relief package was introduced during the first wave of the pandemic and targeted residential and micro-businesses in vulnerable low-income groups.

"The system selected people who were using less than 200 units per month between January and July 2020," he said in a statement.

The relief package, he said, was meant to help customers who had lost their income and others who were struggling to make ends meet as a result of the pandemic.