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Today Eskom releases its 78th 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 at least the next two years.

Eskom would like to thank all those customers who have helped to keep the lights on by responding to the Power Alert messages which are broadcast on TV each evening. Their efforts in switching off non-essential appliances during peak hours have made a significant difference to demand.

Trends in the supply and demand of power in South Africa are as follows:
Today (Monday, 08 October): The capacity available to meet this evening’s peak demand is 32 988 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 31 314 MW. Current planned maintenance stands at 3 003 MW. Unplanned outages are 6 359 MW.

Yesterday (Sunday, 07 October): Peak demand of 28 959 MW met by available capacity of 31 203 MW.
Saturday (06 October): Peak demand of 28 679 MW met by available capacity of 33 169 MW.
Friday (05 October): Peak demand of 30 396 MW met by available capacity of 33 601 MW.
Thursday (04 October): Peak demand of 31 126 MW met by available capacity of 33 856 MW.
Peak demand for the rest of this week is forecast at: 31 175 MW on Tuesday, 31 221 MW on Wednesday, 31 463 MW on Thursday, 30 636 MW on Friday, 28 801 MW on Saturday, and 28 986 MW on Sunday.

Eskom continues to make progress with its programme of planned maintenance but the system remains tight.
We urge all South Africans to partner with us to save 10% of their electricity usage especially during peak periods, from 5pm to 9pm. This will make it significantly easier to manage the power system during this challenging time, while also enabling us to do planned maintenance to ensure the reliability of our plant. For tips on how to trim 10% off your consumption, visit http://www.eskomidm.co.za/residential