It is the end of a long day; you have just come home from work, made dinner, put a load of washing in the washing machine and you settle down in front of the television for some evening viewing.
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For many South African households, this is a typical evening routine. Moreover, it is at this time that South Africa’s electricity network is under the biggest strain, during what is known as the evening peak demand.
So, what is peak demand? The time of the day, day of the week and the seasons can all affect electricity demand.
For example, when people get home from work or start the evening routine, electricity demand spikes as everyone turns on the lights, starts bathing, switches on heaters and prepares dinner around the same time.
When electricity demand is at its highest usage levels it is known as peak demand. This period of peak demand tends to occur when millions of households are using their appliances for cooking, bathing, heating, lighting, and entertainment, all at the same time.
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In South Africa, peak demand periods occur in the early mornings from 6am to 9am and in the early evenings from 15:00pm to 21:00pm.
The evening peak is generally because of the impact of residential consumers. In winter, there is a significant increase in the evening peaks because many people switch on their heaters to keep warm.
It is important to familiarise yourself with how much electricity your appliances use. Switch off unnecessary appliances. Buy energy-efficient appliances when it is time to replace your current appliances and try not to use all your major appliances during peak time. This way, you assist in reducing the demand on the power system, which in turn could help minimise the instances and extent of load shedding and load reduction.
Remember to keep an eye out for and respond to the real-time Power Alert messages on SABC, eTV and DStv to help manage the strain on the electricity system.
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