Please take note that not every day will have load-shedding. But when it happens, you can look at the schedule and see when you are likely to be cut.
Eskom have stressed that during the daytime, at least today, there will be no load-shedding.
The actual Ladysmith load-shedding schedule
We have the load-shedding schedule from the municipality, and it looks like you may need a degree in rocket science to understand it!
We will try and make it easy to understand:
First of all, you need to know what ‘Group’ you are in…
GROUP 1
Substation CONVENT SWITCH HOUSE
S1 – Murchison, Residency, Read, Wright, Diamana
S3 – Murchison, Newcastle, Alfred, Illing, Willis
S9 – Egerton, Albert, Keate, Murchison
S11 – Aloe Gardens, Lancashire, Diamana
S13 – Willis, Illing, Newcastle, Cemetery
Substation LYELL STREET
S1 – Rigas, Plaza, Forbes, King
S6 – Queen, Lyell
Substation NAMBITHI SWITCH HOUSE
S2 – Leonardsville
S3 – Nambithi Industrial, Main, Willis, Burma
S4 – Nambithi, Industrial, Circle
S8 – Leonardsville / Nambithi, Industrial
Substation JANTHA
S8 – Nambithi, Industrial, Burger, Progress, Agra, Rose Park
S11 – Aloe Park, Hillview, Rose Park
GROUP 2
Substation LIBRARY
S10 – Oval Complex
S11 – Oval Complex
S1 – Murchison, Alexandra
S2 – FNB, OK, NBS, ABSA
S9 – Legal and General, Murchison, Standard Bank, Crawshaw
Substation KEATE STREET
S2 – Kleinman, Motels, RTI, Pillay/Watson/Mimosa Farms
S3 – Settlers Drive, Princess Street, Buckinham Street
S( – 84 Arcade, Game, Princess Street, Lyell Street
S10 – Keate, Poort, Aloe, Hospital Park (Battery, Malcolm Road area)
Substation ET SWITCH HOUSE O2
S1 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya, Umbulwane
S3 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya
S5 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya
S7 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya, Umbulwane
GROUP 3
Substation FAIRCLOUGH SWITCH HOUSE
S1 – Hillview Street, Phillip Frame, Observation Hill
S2 – Hyde Park, Louis Botha, Caldene, Willemse
S10 – Hyde Park, Jan Smuts, Shepstone, Mkhamba Gardens
S11 – Observation Hill, Willemse
Substation PORT NATAL SWITCH HOUSE
S3 – Modelkloof
S9 – Limit Hill
Substation JANTHA
S1 – Acaciavale (Nemesia to Rose Terrace)
S7 – Acaciavale (Calendula to Rose Terrace, Ntombi’s Camp)
S9 – Marula
S10 – Kandahar Avenue, Aloe Park, Microwave Tower, Rose Park, Chisty area
S12 – Marula
Substation CONVENT
S2 – Hospital Park, Van Riebeeck Park, Farquhar Road, Pick ‘n Pay
S4 – Convent, Farquhar, Francis, Harrismith, Old Golf Course
S10 – Egerton, Cochrane, Shearer, Reservoir, Cove Crescent
S14 – Hospital Park, Van Riebeeck Park, Farquhar Road, Pick ‘n Pay
Right now that you have a rough idea what group you are in you can start planning…
Ouch, that looks complicated?
Let’s make it easier to understand.
Take a look at Date 1, right at the top.
Group 1 is empty (no load-shedding, Group 2 starts load-shedding at 00h00 to 03h00 (12am to 3am), then Group 3 from 03h00 to 06h00. Group 1 takes over at 06h00 until 09h00, Group 2 gets a second turn from 09h00 to 12h00, Group 3 12h00 to 15h00, Group 1 again 15h00 to 18h00, Group 2 18h00 to 21h00 and lastly, Group 3 with 21hoo to 24hoo.
So, if you are on in Group 1, this would have been how you would have lived through day 1:
06h00 to 09h00 power off
00h00 to 03h00 power off
If you were in group 2:
00h00 to 03h00 power off
09h00 to 12h00 power off
18h00 to 21hoo power off
If you were in group 3:
03h00 to 06h00 power off
12h00 to 15hoo power off
21hoo to 24h00 power off
As you can see, one group each day gets only two power outages, while the other two get three.