Stage 4 load shedding resumes

Eskom has announced that Stage 4 load shedding is expected to continue until Friday, due to a trip at the Koeberg Unit 1 and the associated loss of generating capacity.

Eskom says the faulty pump at Koeberg has now been repaired and is running again.

The power utility is in the process of obtaining regulatory approval in order to synchronize the generating units back to service by Sunday.

In the meantime, Eskom expects that load shedding, at various stages, may continue into the weekend.

“We are currently utilising emergency generation reserves to supplement supply.

Eskom said some generation units are expected to return to service this evening, which will help ease the supply constraints and reduce the stage of load shedding.

“As the ageing fleet is currently constrained, unpredictable and vulnerable, we advise South Africans that the stage of load shedding may change at short notice, should there be any unexpected change in the generation system performance. Demand has also incrementally risen since January.”

“It is only through partnership between Eskom and all stakeholders that we may soon emerge from these difficult times.

“We urge every South African to cooperate in managing electricity consumption with care to help us minimise load shedding. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding so far,” Eskom said.

Customers have been requested to continue to use electricity sparingly to assist Eskom to reduce demand, by using the following tips:

• Keep morning showers short to lessen the load during morning peak.
• Take food out of the freezer for dinner and put it in the fridge to thaw. It’ll save having to use the microwave to defrost it later.
• Set air conditioners’ average temperature at 23°C.
• Switch off geysers over peak periods.
• Unplug cell phone chargers before leaving the house.
• Use the cold water tap rather than using the geyser every time.
• Set the swimming pool pump cycle to run twice a day, three hours at a time.
• At the end of the day, turn off computers, copiers, printers and fax machines at the switch.

Customers can get their load shedding schedules on the Eskom website at https://loadshedding.eskom.co.za or local municipal websites, depending on their electricity supplier, to review amendments.