IT’S the end of a long day, you have just come home from work, made dinner, put a load of washing on and you settle down in front of the television for some evening viewing.

For many South African households, this is a typical evening routine.

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It is at this time that South Africa’s electricity network is under the biggest strain, during what is known as evening peak demand.

What is peak demand?

The time of day, day of the week, and even the seasons can all affect electricity demand and usage. For example, when people get home from work or start their evening routine, electricity demand spikes as everyone turns on their lights, geysers, heaters, and prepares dinner.

When electricity demand is at its highest usage levels, this is known as ‘peak demand’.

This peak demand period occurs when millions of households use their appliances for cooking, bathing, heating, lighting, and entertainment, all at the same time.

In South Africa, peak demand periods occur in the early mornings from 6am-9am and in the evenings from 5pm-9 pm.

In winter, there is a significant increase in evening peak demand because many people switch on their heaters to keep warm.

It is important to familiarise yourself with how much electricity your appliances use. Switch off unnecessary appliances.

Buy energy-efficient appliances when it is time to replace your existing ones, and try not to use all major appliances during peak times.

This way, you assist in reducing the demand on the power system, which in turn could help minimise the instances and extent of load-shedding.

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