You’re being plunged into darkness because all other options have been exhausted. These other options include running power stations at maximum capacity and interrupting supply to the industrial customers with special contracts like aluminum smelters and steel mills.

Load shedding is the necessary break in electricity supply to certain areas because the demand is too big. Eskom draws up schedules to ensure that no area is interrupted for more than 2 hours at a time.

The shedding also prevents blackouts from happening. Shortages on the electricity system unbalance the network which can cause collapse. By rotating the load in a controlled manner, the system remains stable.

Eskom is also calling for demand side management (DSM). This is a new mindset where people realise that they’ve been wasting power and adopt ways of improving efficiency.


We can all help out by adapting our daily routines. Visit the Eskom website for tips on saving energy…