Eskom to implement stage 1 load-shedding

8th May 2015 By: News24Wire

Eskom to implement stage 1 load-shedding

Photo by: Duane Daws

Eskom has confirmed that stage 1 load-shedding would take place from 10:00 until 22:00 on Friday.

The City of Cape Town tweeted that Area 11 would experience load-shedding from 10:00 to 12:30 ahead of Eskom's official tweet or media update.

However, the media desk confirmed that stage 1 would be taking place for the majority of the day.

On Thursday, Eskom shifted its stage 1 load-shedding to stage 2, which meant it  needed to increase its 1 000 MW electricity cut to 2 000 MW.

"The electricity system remains significantly constrained ... for the rest of the week into the weekend and next week as demand surpasses available supply," Eskom said in a power update on Thursday.

"With continued cold weather forecasted for the next few days due to a cold front, the system is expected to be constrained during the evening peak period (17:00 – 21:00). We therefore request all electricity users to save as much as they can in order to limit the severity of load-shedding. Eskom will provide regular updates on the status of the power system through all the media platforms.

"We would like to thank all electricity users for responding to our calls to save and we urge everyone to save as much as they can because every little bit counts.

"We have asked our industrial customers to also contribute towards savings through load curtailment and we also want to thank them as their response goes a long way in addressing capacity constraints. 

"Eskom calls on all customers to reduce the load on the electricity grid by urgently switching off geysers, air conditioners, pool pumps and all non-essential appliances throughout the day, which will reduce electricity demand.

"We would like to thank all customers who continue to use electricity sparingly. Every little bit of saving counts as it reduces the severity of load-shedding.

"Eskom calls on all South Africans to pull together over the next few months and use electricity sparingly. Homeowners and businesses can do so with just four steps: first, switching off geysers and pool pumps; second, switching off non-essential lights; third, efficient use of air-conditioners by keeping the room temperature at 23°C; and finally, responding to the alerts on TV each evening."

News24.com