Please take note that not every day will have load-shedding. But when it happens, you can look at the schedule and see when you are likely to be cut.

Eskom have stressed that during the daytime, at least today, there will be no load-shedding.

The actual Ladysmith load-shedding schedule

We have the load-shedding schedule from the municipality, and it looks like you may need a degree in rocket science to understand it!

We will try and make it easy to understand:

First of all, you need to know what ‘Group’ you are in…

GROUP 1

Substation CONVENT SWITCH HOUSE

S1 – Murchison, Residency, Read, Wright, Diamana

S3 – Murchison, Newcastle, Alfred, Illing, Willis

S9 – Egerton, Albert, Keate, Murchison

S11 – Aloe Gardens, Lancashire, Diamana

S13 – Willis, Illing, Newcastle, Cemetery

Substation LYELL STREET

S1 – Rigas, Plaza, Forbes, King

S6 – Queen, Lyell

Substation NAMBITHI SWITCH HOUSE

S2 – Leonardsville

S3 – Nambithi Industrial, Main, Willis, Burma

S4 – Nambithi, Industrial, Circle

S8 – Leonardsville / Nambithi, Industrial

Substation JANTHA

S8 – Nambithi, Industrial, Burger, Progress, Agra, Rose Park

S11 – Aloe Park, Hillview, Rose Park

GROUP 2

Substation LIBRARY

S10 – Oval Complex

S11 – Oval Complex

S1 – Murchison, Alexandra

S2 – FNB, OK, NBS, ABSA

S9 – Legal and General, Murchison, Standard Bank, Crawshaw

Substation KEATE STREET

S2 – Kleinman, Motels, RTI, Pillay/Watson/Mimosa Farms

S3 – Settlers Drive, Princess Street, Buckinham Street

S( – 84 Arcade, Game, Princess Street, Lyell Street

S10 – Keate, Poort, Aloe, Hospital Park (Battery, Malcolm Road area)

Substation ET SWITCH HOUSE O2

S1 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya, Umbulwane

S3 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya

S5 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya

S7 – Steadville, Tsakane, Shayamoya, Umbulwane

GROUP 3

Substation FAIRCLOUGH SWITCH HOUSE

S1 – Hillview Street, Phillip Frame, Observation Hill

S2 – Hyde Park, Louis Botha, Caldene, Willemse

S10 – Hyde Park, Jan Smuts, Shepstone, Mkhamba Gardens

S11 – Observation Hill, Willemse

Substation PORT NATAL SWITCH HOUSE

S3 – Modelkloof

S9 – Limit Hill

Substation JANTHA

S1 – Acaciavale (Nemesia to Rose Terrace)

S7 – Acaciavale (Calendula to Rose Terrace, Ntombi’s Camp)

S9 – Marula

S10 – Kandahar Avenue, Aloe Park, Microwave Tower, Rose Park, Chisty area

S12 – Marula

Substation CONVENT

S2 – Hospital Park, Van Riebeeck Park, Farquhar Road, Pick ‘n Pay

S4 – Convent, Farquhar, Francis, Harrismith, Old Golf Course

S10 – Egerton, Cochrane, Shearer, Reservoir, Cove Crescent

S14 – Hospital Park, Van Riebeeck Park, Farquhar Road, Pick ‘n Pay

Right now that you have a rough idea what group you are in you can start planning…

Ouch, that looks complicated?

Let’s make it easier to understand.

Take a look at Date 1, right at the top.

Group 1 is empty (no load-shedding, Group 2 starts load-shedding at 00h00 to 03h00 (12am to 3am), then Group 3 from 03h00 to 06h00. Group 1 takes over at 06h00 until 09h00, Group 2 gets a second turn from 09h00 to 12h00, Group 3 12h00 to 15h00, Group 1 again 15h00 to 18h00, Group 2 18h00 to 21h00 and lastly, Group 3 with 21hoo to 24hoo.

So, if you are on in Group 1, this would have been how you would have lived through day 1:

06h00 to 09h00 power off

00h00 to 03h00 power off

If you were in group 2:

00h00 to 03h00 power off

09h00 to 12h00 power off

18h00 to 21hoo power off

If you were in group 3:

03h00 to 06h00 power off

12h00 to 15hoo power off

21hoo to 24h00 power off

As you can see, one group each day gets only two power outages, while the other two get three.