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Today Eskom releases its 345th 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. The situation is expected to improve slightly later in the week going into the weekend. Eskom implemented stage 1 load shedding at 16:00 today and then moved to stage 2 at 17:00, which will continue until 22:00 this evening. This is due to the shortage of generating capacity as several units are currently out of service due to maintenance.
                                            
Eskom would like to assure customers that load shedding is implemented as a necessary measure to protect the power system and to ensure that maintenance is carried out in order to guarantee that our supply of electricity can be maintained in the long term.

Eskom calls 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 (Monday 18 May): The capacity available to meet this evening’s peak demand is 30 251 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 33 122 MW. Current planned maintenance stands at 5 419 MW. Unplanned outages are 5 125 MW.

Tuesday (19 May): The capacity available to meet tomorrow’s evening peak demand is 32 413 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 33 473 MW.

Wednesday (20 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 32 163 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 33 463 MW.

Thursday (21 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 32 738 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 33 565 MW.

Friday (22 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 33 501 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 31 968 MW.

Saturday (23 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 34 133 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 30 848 MW.

Sunday (24 May): The capacity available to meet that evening’s peak demand is 33 986 MW (including open cycle gas turbines) while demand is forecast 31 005 MW.

Yesterday (Sunday 17 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 28 761 MW with available capacity 28 797 MW (considering primary energy constraints).

Saturday (16 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 28 605 MW with available capacity 28 938 MW (considering primary energy constraints).

Friday (15 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 29 816 MW with available capacity 30 126 MW (including open cycle gas turbines).

Thursday (14 May): Peak demand was reduced down to 29 804 MW with available capacity 30 787 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