City Power warns of electricity outages as cold front hits Gauteng

As Gauteng prepares for a cold front, Johannesburg’s City Power said it was taking necessary precautionary measures to deal with high volumes of power outages across the city.

Regional weather forecaster Gauteng Weather warned that another cold front was expected to hit Gauteng, with temperatures expected to drop significantly.

Snow Report SA also forecast low-level snowfall across parts of South Africa and Lesotho, including Gauteng, from the weekend into Monday.

High alert

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said cold temperatures would lead to higher electricity demand, which puts pressure on its network.

“City Power teams in different Service Delivery Centres (SDCs) are on high alert in anticipation of the inclement weather conditions forecasted across Johannesburg.

“City Power is taking all precautionary measures, including beefing up resources in our SDCs, to mitigate against outages that may be triggered by adverse weather. Our teams are on high alert and we will increase resources in high-pressure areas to minimise the disruption of power supply to our residential customers,” Mangena said.

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Conserve electricity

Mangena has appealed to residents also to use electricity sparingly to avoid high demand in power supply, which could lead to overloading and power outages.

“Customers are encouraged to use other sources to warm their homes and to cook to free up capacity on the grid.  Being cautious and managing consumption will help reduce the strain on our network and keep the lights on during this period.

Mangena warned that load shedding and adverse weather conditions might delay repairs and restorations.

“Our teams may be unable to locate the faults, conduct tests, or do repairs during this time. Customers are urged to report any damaged infrastructure caused by bad weather or any electricity-related queries,” Mangena said.

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