Less than a week after suspending its first bout of load shedding since the national lockdown, Eskom has pleaded with customers to switch off geysers, pool pumps, unnecessary lights and any unused appliances.
The power utility – which has in recent weeks been implementing rolling blackouts – on Wednesday evening warned that its power system is under “severe pressure”.
The winter months have seen the state-owned power utility battle with increased consumption which has in some cases led to the overloading of its system. Earlier in the year, CEO Andre de Ruyter had expressed the hope that the utility might be able to restrict load shedding to just three days during the winter.
Eskom has said the overloading of networks leads to damage to the electricity infrastructure through explosions in overloaded transformers and mini-substations. As a result, some high-density areas, which are said to be prone to illegal connections, have been placed on rotational “load reduction” in recent weeks.
Earlier on Wednesday, the power utility warned it would be implementing load rotation – or localised rolling blackouts – in the Nkangala District, Mpumalanga, from 17h00 to 21h00.
Compiled by Sibongile Khumalo
