Load Shedding Frequently Asked Questions
General Comment
Load-shedding is the last resort in several steps taken to prevent a total grid collapse and a national blackout. Hence, it is an emergency response to an emergency, where all other measures have failed, this only becomes evident shortly before emergency load-shedding is declared.
Question 1
Why am I affected when I know of other areas which have not experienced load shedding?
There are some critical loads that the city needs to keep on. If you fall within that block you benefit from not being shut off. Everybody needs to share in load shedding to prevent grid collapse and there is national legislation governing the load shedding to ensure that it is done fairly and equitably.
Question 2.
How do I know which Block I am in?
Above you will find the load shedding schedule and our suburb list where you will find your relevant block. Should you wish to print or view your individual block schedule, use the interactive map, fill in the address field and you’re your individual block schedule will come up. There may be some discrepancies and you are advised to adopt the block you are initially shut off in.
Question 3.
Why has my block changed?
The electricity control room monitors the grid 24/7 and as faults occur, affected substation gets isolated from the grid and customers get fed from alternative substations which may be in another block. This is to minimize the duration of outages to our customers. You will be eventually returned to your original block once the fault has been repaired. However, this may take days or even weeks.
Question 4.
What does Stage1, Stage2 and Stage 3 mean?
Eskom has developed a hierarchy of emergency conditions each requiring a specific load reduction stipulated below. Depending on the severity of the supply constraint, Eskom would declare a Stage 1, 2, 3 up to 8 Emergency to prevent a national blackout.
Stage 1 - National shortage of 1000MW
Stage 2 - National shortage of 2000 MW
Stage 3 - National shortage of 3000 MW
Stage 4 - National shortage of 4000 MW
Stage 5- National Shortage of 5000 MW
Stage 6- National Shortage of 6000 MW
Stage 7- National Shortage of 7000 MW
Stage 8- National Shortage of 8000 MW
Please note that largely industrial areas from block 17 to 20 will be shed from stage 7 upwards.
Question 5.
Why not load shed at night?
Load shedding must take place immediately the load is predicted to exceed generation capacity. The load normally exceeds generation capacity during the day when businesses are using electricity and in the early morning and evening when most households are using electricity. Late at night and on weekends when there is low load, there is a less likelihood of the load exceeding generation capacity and hence a less likelihood of load shedding being required.
Load shedding becomes necessary at night and on weekends to conserve fuel and water pump storage for high demand weekday periods.
Question 6.
Why does the schedule provide for 2 hours for each block
The principle of 2-hour blocks is to minimize the inconvenience to our residential and commercial customers. Geysers and fridges normally retain their temperature over the two hour period.
Question 7
How long can my freezer stay off before the quality of the food deteriorates?
This cannot be answered directly as it depends on the working temperature of the freezer and the effectiveness of the seals. It is, however, strongly advised to limit opening the freezer and fridge compartments during an interruption of supply, as this will have a significant affect.
Question 8
Should I switch off appliances during load shedding?
Ensuring that appliances are switched off during any interruption of supply is advisable, simply because this ensures that they will not turn on when the supply is restored and create an unsafe situation. This also assists the restoration of supply process, as it will avoid high ‘waiting loads’ with the potential to cause an overload trip of an individual circuit. This would require staff to be dispatched to the point of supply and therefore result in an extended interruption.
Question 9
Will eThekwini Municipality compensate me for losses?
Losses incurred by customers due to planned and unplanned outages are not covered by the municipality’s insurance.
Question 10
How do I Save Electricity?
Energy Saving Tips
General: Switch off appliances at plug points when not in use. Appliances on standby still consume the most power.
Kettle: Only boil the amount water needed. E.g 250ml for one cup of tea.
Lights: LED LIGHTS ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT OPTION SO CUSTOMERS ARE ADVISED TO CHANGE TO LED LIGHTING.
Geyser: Geyser settings should be set at 55 degrees Celsius and you can save up to 40% on your electricity bill by using heat pump or a solar water geyser. It is also advisable to use a low flow showerhead which will reduce the amount of water being consumed. Therefore, there will be less water heated for your shower.
Stove: Your pots should be the same or larger than your stove plate to ensure that all the heat generated heats up your pot. You can turn off your plates before the food is completely cooked leaving it up to latent heat to finish off your dish.
Refrigerator: Seals on your fridge should be in good condition to prevent leakage of cold air which will cause the motor to run continuously.
Home tips on surviving load shedding:
Ensure your cellphone is always fully charged,
Ensure you have adequate cash at hand as ATM’s will not work,
Keep temporary lighting, such as candles and electric torches readily available,
Boil water and keep in hot water flasks for hot drinks for when the power is scheduled to be off,
Prepare meals in advance,
Keep refrigerator doors closed, as a power outage of up to four hours should not cause food spoilage and a freezer should keep frozen food safe for at least a day.
Switch off all high load appliances- - pool pumps, geyser, etc, to prevent waiting load when supply returns.
