Load shedding likely

Eskom released its 335th update on the state of the power system on 9 April.

The system status bulletin is released in line with its commitment to regular and transparent communication on the power system, which is expected to be constrained for the foreseeable future.

The electricity system remains significantly constrained and for the rest of the week into the weekend, and next week as demand surpassed available supply.

This means that the risk of load shedding is very high.

Eskom therefore requested that South Africans continue to use electricity sparingly and make this a lifestyle as they are managing a very tight system.

Eskom continues to make progress with its programme of planned maintenance.

The capacity available to meet demand depends on the number of generating units that are unavailable for planned and unplanned maintenance.

They therefore urged all customers to partner with them to save at least 10% of their electricity usage throughout the day.

This will help them manage the power system during this challenging time, while also enabling them to do adequate maintenance to ensure the reliability of their plants.

Eskom called on all South Africans to pull together over the next few months and use electricity sparingly.

Homeowners and businesses can do so with just four steps: first, switching off geysers and pool pumps, second, switching off non-essential lights, third, efficient use of air-conditioners by keeping the room temperature at 23°C and finally, responding to the alerts on television each evening.

• Friday 10 April: The capacity available to meet the evening peak demand is 29 191 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 30 345 MW.

• Saturday 11 April: The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 28 218 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 28 898 MW.

• Sunday 12 April: The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 28 532 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 28 848 MW.

• Monday 13 April: The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 29 991 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 31 380 MW.

• Tuesday 14 April: The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 30 381 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 31 445 MW.

• Wednesday 15 April: The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 30 381 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 31 596 MW.

Top saving tips at home:

There is a golden rule that applies to saving electricity in the home: If you’re not using it, switch it off.

By partnering with Eskom and changing the way we use energy everyday, you can make a difference to the electricity supply shortage in our country

Geyser: it guzzles 39% of your monthly energy usage.

Switch it off to reduce your energy demand.

Don’t forget to insulate the geyser and water pipes.

Shower: it uses less water than bathing and using less hot water means less work for the geyser.

Use an energy efficient shower head since it uses less water.

Lighting: replace all your incandescent bulbs with energy saving Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and switch off the lights in unoccupied rooms.

Standby electricity: don’t leave your television, DVD player, etc. on stand-by mode, they still use up to 50% off their operating power.Rather switch them off at the power switch and don’t forget to unplug your cell phone charger after your phone has been charged or it will continue to draw power.Refrigeration: close your fridge door quickly so it doesn’t use extra power to get back to its optimal cooling level.

Temperature control: keep the room temperature between 18°C to 23°C, this is known as the “golden zone”.

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