With the start of the new year and many industries switching on their lights again, Eskom urges residents to cut down on their electricity consumption.
The power giant imposed load-shedding during December to ensure that the country’s electricity demand would be met, leaving many South Africans in the dark and very unhappy.
In a recent bulletin, Eskom said it was continuing to make progress with its programme of planned maintenance but that the system remained tight. It encouraged residents to use electricity sparingly, especially once schools opened, as the risk of load-shedding was expected to be low to medium.
Eskom urges all South Africans to save 10 per cent of their electricity usage throughout the day as this will make it easier to manage the power system and enable it to do planned maintenance.
Keep an eye on power alerts and Eskom power bulletins broadcasted on television, www.eskom.co.za and notifications on Lowveld Media websites to see whether load-shedding is expected.
Power cuts in White River, White River Country Estates and Rocky Drift depend on which stage Eskom is implementing. The different stages indicate the severity of the electricity crisis.
In stage 2, it will be implemented from 10:00 to 12:30 on Saturdays and Sundays. In the case of stage 3, the time slot is from 20:00 to 22:30 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Try to save power and lighten the national load by turning off lights and all non-essential appliances, as per power-alert instructions.
Stock up on candles and lamps or get yourself a gas stove to ensure you can still enjoy that cup of coffee even if the lights go off.
For ways to save electricity, click here.
To find out which of your appliances are not energy efficient, click here.
