Eskom will implement stage 2 load shedding from 08h00 today, which is likely to continue until 22h00 this evening. This is due to a shortage of generation capacity as several units are currently on unplanned outages due to technical faults.
Furthermore, units that were expected to come back on line after maintenance have delayed and among them Koeberg’s Unit 1.
Eskom is implementing its maintenance plan to increase the reserve margin and stabilise the grid. We thank customers for responding to our messages to decrease demand. We appeal to all communities to report cases of illegal connections and vandalism as these practices put lives in danger and a further strain on the electricity network causing local outages.
The power system remains severely constrained and will remain so for the rest of this week. We therefore urge all electricity customers to reduce their consumption in order to reduce the severity of load shedding.
Eskom calls on all customers to reduce the load on the electricity grid by urgently switching off geysers, air conditioners, pool pumps and all non-essential appliances throughout the day, which will reduce electricity demand. Commercial customers, particularly shopping centres and office blocks, can also make a big difference by switching off non-essential lights and not leaving office equipment such as photocopiers and computers in standby mode after hours.
Eskom customers can check load shedding schedules on the Eskom website (http://loadshedding.eskom.co.za ) or contact our customer call centre on 0860 037 566. Municipal customers are urged to contact their local authorities.
Eskom will provide regular updates on the status of the power system throughout the day.
