Stage 1 load shedding to begin at 5pm this evening
JOBURG – Adding to South Africans' woes, another series of load shedding is expected from 5pm as the ailing public electricity entity, Eskom revealed that stage one will be implemented.
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The company’s Twitter handle, Eskom Hld SOC Ltd @Eskom_SA stated, “Eskom regrets to announce that Stage 1 load_shedding will be implemented from 5pm until 10pm today.” Eskom later announced that any unexpected changes on the constrained power system could lead to a stage change at short notice. “We apologise for the inconvenience,” the statement read.
Eskom also thanked their customers’ support in using electricity sparingly during this constrained and vulnerable period.
Here are some energy-saving tips:
Unplug all appliances such as computers, coffee machines, television sets and entertainment consoles.
Fix leaky taps: allowing water, especially hot water, to drip down the drain wastes both water and electricity.
Replace conventional outdoor lights with motion-sensor lamps for security as they use less electricity because they only activate when the sensor is triggered.
Switch to solar powered garden lights as they use the free energy of the sun.
Make sure the back-up batteries on your electric fencing and intruder detection system are in optimal working order; replace them if necessary.
Set your pool pump to operate for four hours per day – it is enough to keep the pool clean while it is not being used.
And, make sure the pool pump is set to run outside 5pm to 9pm, the period of peak demand for electricity in South Africa