No load shedding but possibility remains

Friday, March 20, 2020

As the power generation system remains constrained and vulnerable, the possibility of load shedding still remains, says Eskom.

“During peak hours we are utilising emergency generation reserves to supplement supply, and [we] may have to implement load shedding at short notice should the power generation system deteriorate,” said the power utility in a statement on Thursday.

Unplanned breakdowns or outages were at 11 182MW as of Thursday afternoon and planned maintenance outages were at 4 774MW.

“It is only through partnership between Eskom and all stakeholders that we may soon emerge from these difficult times.

“We urge every South African to cooperate in managing electricity consumption with care to help us minimise load shedding. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding so far,” Eskom said. 

Customers have been requested to continue to use electricity sparingly to assist Eskom to reduce demand, by using the following tips:

- Keep morning showers short to lessen the load during morning peak.

- Take food out of the freezer for dinner and put it in the fridge to thaw. It’ll save having to use the

  microwave to defrost it later.

- Set air conditioners’ average temperature at 23°C.

- Switch off geysers over peak periods.

- Unplug cell phone chargers before leaving the house.

- Use the cold water tap rather than using the geyser every time.

- Set the swimming pool pump cycle to run twice a day, three hours at a time.

- At the end of the day, turn off computers, copiers, printers and fax machines at the switch. 

Customers can check their load shedding schedules on the Eskom website at https://loadshedding.eskom.co.za or local municipal websites, depending on their electricity supplier, to review amendments. - SAnews.gov.za