The Handover: The Power Shift: From next Monday, Joburg’s City Power will have their hands on the load shedding button, bringing relief to residents who’ve been under the dark cloud of four-hour power cuts.
What’s Changing?:
- From Extended to Brief: Say goodbye to the draining four-hour blackouts! Even at the lowest load shedding stage, blackouts will be reduced to just two hours.
- Operational Shift: In partnership with Eskom, City Power will be commandeering load shedding operations for most areas that were previously under Eskom’s control.
- The Big Announcement:
“Areas that are load shed by City Power will remain on a two-hour schedule even during Stages 5 and above of load shedding,” declared Eskom and City Power, jointly.
- A Few Exceptions: Due to technical intricacies and network configurations, some areas will still be under Eskom’s watch. This list includes places like Tshepisong, Maroeladal, Dainfern, and Halfway Gardens, to name a few.
Technicalities & Commitments: Both power entities emphasized:
“The security of supply is paramount. Adherence to NRS 048-9:2019 ensures the stability of the national grid, even amidst these changes.”
- Future Prospects: The duo is in exploration mode, searching for ways for City Power to eventually take over load shedding operations for all its customers.
- City Power’s Pledge:
“We’ve geared up with processes, systems, and technical capability to seamlessly integrate these new load shedding responsibilities,” they assured.
Stay Updated: For those wanting the latest load shedding schedules, come Monday, they’ll be up for grabs on both City Power and Eskom’s websites.
A Cold Front’s Impact: City Power’s spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, highlighted a spike in electricity demand due to the recent cold snap, leading to power disruptions.
“With over 2,500 outage calls in Joburg, our technicians are burning the midnight oil. The South African Weather Service forecasts that this chilly spell will last until late Tuesday. This, combined with higher stages of load shedding, might push our network to its brink,” he cautioned.
This power switcheroo might be the silver lining Joburg residents have been yearning for. With City Power at the helm and reduced blackout hours, brighter days (and nights) could be on the horizon.