Eskom’s load-limiting plan a start to ease load shedding

There’s a new phrase in the South African lexicon and although it is still early days, it may be a workable solution to mitigating a little of the unending grind of load shedding.

Eskom launches load-limiting pilot

First, there were rolling blackouts, then the “friendlier” load shedding, which has now been joined by load limiting.

The pilot project, being run only in Fourways for now, gives Eskom smart meter clients the option to have a little electricity when stages 1-4 load shedding kicks in, instead of none at all.

ALSO READ: Don’t get left in the dark: Tips for working during load shedding

Eskom will notify its clients through their cellphones and smart meters who will be given four opportunities to reduce their load (the amount of current being drawn by the household). If they do not reduce their load to 10 amps, they will be load shed.

On the face of it, it’s a subtle move that will help reduce the load on the grid in the area and allow the lights, Wi-Fi and TV to be kept on. Heaters, geysers and stoves will draw far too much power.

Let’s be clear: it is not ideal. It’s not where we should be as a country that has been dealing with rolling blackouts for what seems an aeon.

Load shedding almost every day

As of yesterday, we have had 3 812 hours or 158 days of load shedding so far, according to The Outlier, an independent publication specialising in using data to create stories. That is nearly every day so far this year, save one day in March.

The toll on municipal infrastructure has also been immense and costly as substations blow up in protest of the on again/off again nature of load shedding.

There will be teething problems, proper communication about the project being one of them already apparent.

A pilot project based on a few 100 people in a dense residential suburb may be a small beginning in returning normalcy to the country – but it is a beginning.

NOW READ: Ex-Eskom employees, experts to help ease load shedding