Should South Africans be bracing themselves for the return of load shedding?
The cold weather is causing transformers to become overloaded
Eskom said in a statement on Sunday that transformers were overloaded and urged consumers to reduce electricity usage.
“With the significant drop in temperatures, we have several transformers that are overloading in Gauteng, particularly in Soweto, thus causing outages.
“We urge customers to reduce their electricity usage, which is causing the transformers to trip.”
The power utility said residents are advised to switch off geysers, unused lights, and non-essential appliances.
CONSUMERS URGED TO REDUCE THEIR ELECTRICITY USAGE
“Furthermore, customers are encouraged to use alternative heating methods such as dressing warm, using blankets/throws, and hot water bottles instead of using heaters.”
This comes a week after Eskom said there will be NO load shedding despite fake news circulating that load shedding will be back after the elections.
“Eskom has noted with concern the fake news trending on social media regarding load shedding resuming on 30 May.”
ELECTIONS ARE BARELY OVER AND NOW THIS
South Africans are still hesitant to trust the power utility, especially after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved guidelines for implementing load shedding up to Stage 16 earlier this year.
Last year, Vally Padayachee, the Chair of the management committee of the National Rationalised Specifications (NRS) Association of South Africa, said that the new load shedding system should prevent the grid from collapsing after stage 8 load shedding.
He was speaking with Newzroom Afrika.
WILL WE EVER REACH STAGE 16 LOAD SHEDDING?
Padayachee said that this revised load shedding schedule would do away with human error, with a system in place to accommodate for as high as stage 16.
He repeatedly stated that South Africa is unlikely to ever reach stage 16, where 80% of the grid would require shutting down.
Padayachee furthermore said that including stage 16 is for unintended consequences of load shedding, which the NRS is considering as a prudent organisation.
WHAT IS THE USE OF THE REVISED CODE?
The code aims to help Eskom and municipal distributors mitigate the impact of high load shedding stages while preventing a grid collapse.
Meanwhile, it also allows Eskom’s system operator and electricity distributors to take emergency action if necessary.
The Eskom System Operator is responsible for the stability of South Africa’s electricity grid and sets the level of load shedding needed to do so.
HERE ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE REVISED CODE:
The changes to the code include:
- Combining the load shedding stages into one system from Stage 1 to 16;
- Gaining more control over deciding and carrying out load shedding and load reduction to make the grid more stable and give customers more confidence;
- Also, explaining how to set baseline levels for customers who have to reduce their energy use;
- Additionally, we empower these customers to reduce their energy consumption by 10% for every two stages of load shedding, up to stage 10, allowing them to cut 50% of their energy use or switch to essential needs, instead of mandating a switch after Stage 4.
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- Defining the rules for compliance and reporting (both overall and in real-time);
- Finally, offering advice on using smart meters to lessen the effects of load shedding on customers.
In May 2023, Eskom proposed new load-shedding guidelines up to Stage 16. This was to ensure effective implementation of load shedding beyond Stage 8 if necessary.
