Beware of the danger of illegal connections

The power utility, Eskom has warned people not to connect electricity illegally. 

Eskom said illegal connection poses a great risk as it overloads the system, which often causes the power connection to trip or fail and can also cause a fire.

“Another problem with illegal connections is that when Eskom does electricity connections in your community, they look at how much electricity is needed by the number of homes and a certain number of people per home in the area,” said Eskom in the statement.

“When you connect illegally, you draw from the same equipment which was meant for a certain number of households, resulting in the equipment being overloaded and the system failing/tripping.”

Eskom said most people lose their lives due to illegal connections. “Too often, innocent people lose their lives due to illegal connections.  The saddest and most concerning part for Eskom is that it is often children who are electrocuted when they unwittingly touch carelessly laid (and completely unsafe) cables left by those who steal electricity.

“Illegal connections are not safe as they are usually done by unqualified people who not only risk electrocuting themselves but also expose other people to danger and the risk of injury and death if they make contact with the connection.”

Safety tips:

• Avoid connecting electricity illegally. Only authorised Eskom personnel or qualified electricians may connect electricity and with permission from Eskom
• If you come across any illegal connections, report them to Eskom on 08600 37566 (ESKOM) or SMS the Crime Line on 32211
• Educate your children about illegal electricity connections.

Related article: 

https://midrandreporter.co.za/video_of_the_day/city-johannesburg-shuts-illegal-connections/