City of Cape Town residents could soon be rewarded for switching off appliances during load shedding. Image via Unsplash
Cape Town residents could soon be paid for switching off appliances
Residents in the City of Cape Town could soon be paid for switching off their appliances during load shedding. Here’s how it will work..
City of Cape Town residents could soon be rewarded for switching off appliances during load shedding. Image via Unsplash
Residents in the City of Cape Town could soon be rewarded for volunteering to switch off appliances in exchange for compensation when electricity supply is strained.
This intervention comes as national power supplier, Eskom, is subjecting South Africans to rolling blackouts alternating between various stages that are wreaking havoc in various sectors.
HERE’S HOW CAPE TOWN RESIDENTS COULD BE REWARDED
The City of Cape Town has issued a tender that will see customers rewarded for reducing their power usage at a given time so that City-supplied customers can be protected from the impacts of load shedding. These Cape Town Power Heroes will be key in the City’s load-shedding protection efforts.
Here’s how it will work:
City asks for reduction in usage to protect its customers → Third party aggregators call on the Power Heroes to switch off → Power Heroes help Team Cape TownA reduction of usage of 60MW is targeted.
Third party Aggregators that have been appointed via tender, sign up Power Heroes on a voluntary basis, comprising residential and small-scale commercial customers.
When usage needs to be cut, the Aggregators switch off agreed-to non-essential electrical equipment of the Power Heroes. It could be done remotely via installed smart devices.
Aggregators reward the Power Heroes. Aggregators determine the incentives and manage them. The City will then reward the Aggregators in terms of the tender conditions and agreements.
City of Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill Lewis said the Eskom situation is so precarious that a combination of interventions will be key over the next decade as work continues to reduce their reliance on Eskom.
Hill Lewis said smaller energy consumers can make a big difference to keep the lights on for longer in Cape Town and to ensure that the City’s economy is enhanced and protected as much as possible.
“The Power Heroes will really be going the extra mile for Team Cape Town, but as Eskom has shown that load shedding is here for the foreseeable future, we need to do whatever we can in Cape Town to keep our city moving forward,” he said.
Cape Town residents are protected from up to two stages of load shedding where possible. Between February and July 2022, the City protected its customers from 722 hours of load shedding, reportedly.
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen said they are looking forward to creating a new energy regime in the City built on partnerships, innovation and cleaner, more affordable technology.
“We can absolutely position Cape Town as a beacon of hope in South Africa for what is possible even amid great challenges.”
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