Load shedding: Tips to get you through the darkness

Feeling frustrated? Don’t let load shedding leave you hopeless.

It looks like Eskom’s difficulties will not be resolved any time soon, as the utility has now predicted that load shedding will continue until 2027. Over the past year, South Africans have experienced daily power outages.

Eskom has been confronted with persistent supply constraints for the past year, with 2022 marking the worst power outages in the country’s history. Higher levels of outages continued through early 2023, and since January we have faced a record number of days and consecutive days of planned power cuts.  

Eskom has also fallen short in preventing episodes of disruption to the supply at several of its power stations. The situation looks bleak, with our newly appointed Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, saying that South Africans must make difficult decisions to make sure load shedding ceases. Ramokgopa maintains that load shedding challenges are rooted, essentially, in the fact that demand for power exceeds supply.  

1

Losing steam 

Eskom has a generation capacity of around 48 000 megawatts (MW), but it is currently only consistently producing 27 000 MW. For the moment, summer demand reaches around 32 000 MW, which can swell to 37 000 MW in winter.  

This means that during the colder months, the shortfall being experienced is up to 10 000 MW, the equivalent of Stage 10 load shedding! For over a decade, the government has maintained that the country’s load shedding problems would come to an end. Clearly, this has not happened, but all is not lost, apparently…  

Ramokgopa revealed that several interventions are on the way, including the addition of 4 000 MW of power to the grid in the next six months. “So, the long and short of it is that, no, load shedding will still be with us, even by the end of this calendar year. But we will do everything possible to ensure that its intensity is not as severe so that we can get the South African economy going,” he said.  

2

Bearing the load 

For now, follow these tips to help you get through the dark times.  

Alternative energy sources:  Look for solar cellphone chargers or chargers you can plug into your car. If you are able to afford it, invest in a generator, power inverter unit or UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery to give you some juice when the lights are off.   

Lighting: There are many rechargeable lights on the market. Or at least stock up on good old-fashioned candles and paraffin lanterns.  

Plan ahead: Make sure that your electronics and gadgets are charged ahead of load shedding. Fill a flask with boiling water so you can still have hot drinks.  

Take care of appliances: It might be time to buy surge protectors; they are relatively affordable and will lessen the chance of power surges (which happen when a period of load shedding ends) damaging items like fridges and TVs.  

Invest in gas: Look at buying a small two-plate gas stove or even a camping stove so you’re able to cook during load shedding. A gas heater will make winter more bearable. Go solar: Install a solar geyser and buy solar lamps that you can charge during the day so you have light at night.  

Turn plastic bottles into ice packs: Fill empty cooldrink bottles with water and put them in the freezer. When the power goes out, take them out of the freezer and put them in your fridge to help your food stay cold.  

Bonus: the extra freezing in the deep freeze will stop your freezer goods from thawing.  

3

Stay alert 

Load shedding maths:  

• Stage 1 Up to 1 000 MW has to be shed. Expect up to 3 outages in a four-day period for 2 hours each time (or 3 outages in an eight-day period for 4 hours each time). 
•  Stage 2 Up to 2 000 MW needs to be shed. Expect up to 6 outages in a four- day period for 2 hours each time (or 6 outages in an eight-day period for 4 hours each).  
• Stage 3 Up to 3 000 MW needs to be shed. Expect up to 9 outages in a four-day period for 2 hours each time (or 9 outages in an eight-day period for 4 hours each).  
• Stage 4 Up to 4 000 MW needs to be shed. Expect up to 12 outages in a four-day period for 2 hours each time (or 12 outages in an eight-day period for 4 hours each). 
• Stage 6 Up to 6 000 MW needs to be shed. Expect up to 12 outages in a four-day period: 6 times for 2 hours, and 6 times for 4 hours. 
• Stage 8: Up to 8 000 MW needs to be shed. Expect up to 12 outages in a four-day period for 4 hours each time.