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Today Eskom releases its 344th update on the state of the power system. Eskom’s system status bulletin is released twice a week in line with its commitment to regular and transparent communication on the power system, which is expected to be constrained for the foreseeable future.

The electricity system remains significantly constrained today and for the rest of the week leading into the weekend, as well as next week as demand surpasses available supply. The shortage of generating capacity is due to several units being out of service for maintenance. Eskom started implementing stage 1 load shedding and curtailment from 16:00 today and later moved to stage 2 at 17:00.  This is likely to continue until 22:00 this evening.

It is worth noting that although certain areas will be without electricity for a certain period, about 96% of South Africans will still continue to receive power supply at the same time. Eskom is encouraged by progress at Medupi, which ramped up production to735 MW earlier this week.Medupi Unit 6 is being progressively commissioned and optimised to ensure that the power it delivers is stable, consistent and reliable. During this testing phase, the unit is not expected to stay on load for long periods of time and will deliver power intermittently.

The system is expected to be constrained, especially during evening peak. We therefore request that South Africans continue to use electricity sparingly and make this a lifestyle as we are managing a very tight system. Eskom will provide regular updates on the status of the power system through all the media platforms.

We call 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 23⁰C; and finally, responding to the alerts on TV each evening.

Trends in the supply and demand of power in South Africa are as follows:

Today (Thursday 14 May): The capacity available to meet this evening’s peak demand is 30 527 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 33 318 MW. Current planned maintenance stands at 6 389 MW. Unplanned outages are 6 760 MW.

Tomorrow (Friday 15 May): The capacity available to meet tomorrow’s evening peak demand is 30 878 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 31 426 MW.

Saturday (16 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 31 068 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 30 342 MW.

Sunday (17 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 31 068 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 31 156 MW.

Monday (18 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 31 998 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 33 352 MW.

Tuesday (19 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 31 710 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 33 473 MW.

Wednesday (20 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 31 460 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast at 33 463 MW.

Yesterday (Wednesday 13 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 30 660 MW and was managed by available capacity of 30 350 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) and significant use of "contracted" demand reduction.

Tuesday (12 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 30 413 MW with available capacity of 31 127 MW (including open cycle gas turbines).

Monday (11 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 30 780 MW with available capacity of 30 852 MW (including open cycle gas turbines).


Top saving tips at home:

There is a golden rule that applies to saving electricity in the home: If you’re not using it, switch it off.

By partnering with Eskom and changing the way we use energy everyday, you can make a difference to the electricity supply shortage in our country

Geyser – it guzzles 39% of your monthly energy usage. Switch it off to reduce your energy demand. Don’t forget to insulate the geyser and water pipes.

Shower – it uses less water than bathing and using less hot water means less work for the geyser. Use an energy efficient shower head since it uses less water.

Lighting – replace all your incandescent bulbs with energy saving Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and switch off the lights in unoccupied rooms.

Standby electricity – don’t leave your TV, DVD player, etc. on stand-by mode, they still use up to 50% off their operating power. Rather switch them off at the power switch and don’t forget to unplug your cell phone charger after your phone has been charged or it will continue to draw power.

Refrigeration – close your fridge door quickly so it doesn’t use extra power to get back to its optimal cooling level.

Temperature control – keep the room temperature between 18°C - 23°C, this is known as the “golden zone”.

For additional tips on how to trim 10% off your consumption, visit http://www.eskom.co.za/sites/idm/Residential/Pages/Save10.aspx

Issued by Eskom