Eskom terminated stage 2 load shedding this morning at 06:00, and will resume at 09:00 today until 06:00 on Thursday.
“While rotational load shedding is necessary due to a shortage of capacity, in an effort to minimise the impact on traffic, we will endeavour to provide a break in load shedding from 06:00 to 09:00 each day, when possible,” Eskom said in a statement.
Unplanned outages or breakdowns were at 11 346MW as at 06:10 this morning.
“Load shedding is necessary due to a shortage in capacity and to replenish emergency reserves during the week. We will continue to monitor the system closely and will give periodic updates on the status of the power system as things may change at short notice.
“We regret that load shedding has a negative impact on South Africa. Critical maintenance is being done to units on planned outages as well as some of those on unplanned outages to ensure timeous return to service,” Eskom said.
To assist in reducing the stage of load shedding, Eskom has appealed to customers to continue to use electricity sparingly:
• Set air-conditioners’ average temperature at 23ºC.
• Switch off your geysers over peak periods.
• Use the cold water tap rather than using the geyser every time.
• Set your swimming pool pump cycle to run twice a day, three hours at a time for optimal energy use.
• At the end of the day, turn off computers, copiers, printers and fax machines at the switch. Avoid stand-by or sleep mode.
“We will keep South Africans informed about the status of the electricity system and our recovery efforts throughout this period,” Eskom said.
Customers are advised to check their load shedding schedules on the Eskom website loadshedding.eskom.co.za or local municipal websites, depending on their electricity supplier. – SAnews.gov.za
