According to Wollaston Labuschagne (DA councillor) an electrical fault at a substation near Gibela on the outskirts of town, had been identified as the cause of the power outage. It lasted until the early hours of this morning.
Disgruntled residents who said the blackout came swiftly and without proper warning, have taken to social media to voice their frustrations.
City of Ekurhuleni electrical technicians attended to the power outage and electricity supply was fully restored around 03:30.
Safety tips for dealing with power outages:
* Be vigilant – when the lights go down, crime goes up. Alarm systems, garage doors and electric gates generally rely on electricity, so make sure that these items all have good back-up batteries. Remain indoors.
* Always have plenty of torches on hand with fully charged batteries, plus extra ones. These should be in an easy-to-reach location so you can immediately find them in the darkness.
* Switch off and unplug all electronics and appliances in your home to prevent damage from electrical surges. Consider purchasing a surge protector if you have not invested in one yet.
* Choose a visible lamp which you can leave switched on so you can tell right away when the electricity is back on.
* Keep refrigerators and freezers properly shut. Your food will stay preserved for a while if you avoid opening them. A sealed refrigerator will keep groceries cold for 4-8 hours and a freezer that is 100% full will keep them cold for up to 48 hours.
* In case of a lengthy outage, have a few cooler boxes ready to transfer your perishables when the fridge and freezer lose their cool and you can just purchase ice cubes to keep them fresh.
* Make sure you always have a fully charged portable mobile power bank to ensure your phone gets a few more hours of battery life too.
* If you have young kids, gather everyone in the house into one room so when the kids wake up in the dark in the middle of the night, they won’t be scared. Make sure all your emergency supplies are also where you can find them in the dark.
Sudden power outages (not load-shedding) can be reported to the CoE emergency number by dialling 0860 543 0000.
