Stage 3 load shedding for TODAY – find your schedule here

Eskom said Stage 3 load shedding will again be implemented from 05:00 to 22:00 TODAY.

STAGE 3 LOAD SHEDDING IS PLANNED FOR WEEKEND

Eskom has announced that load shedding will be pushed to stage 3 on Friday, and that rolling blackouts will be extended over the entire weekend.

Stage 3 load shedding was implemented from 14h00 on Friday and will continue until 05h00 on Monday. Thereafter, stage 2 load shedding will be implemented continuously for the rest of the week.

The escalation is due to the loss of an additional five generating units on Friday morning.

“The additional load shedding tonight is required to manage and recover the emergency generation reserves, which have been utilised extensively over the past five days. Eskom, therefore, urges all South Africans to continue using electricity sparingly.”

Eskom

CRITICAL MAINTENANCE WILL BE CARRIED OUT OVER WEEKEND

Three generating units at Tutuka Power Station as well as two Kusile Power Station generating units tripped since Friday morning, necessitating the escalation in the stage of load shedding. The delay in the return to service of Koeberg Unit 2 has exacerbated the capacity shortages.

During this weekend, critical planned maintenance at Hydro de Cahorra Bassa in Mozambique, Lethabo, Majuba, Matimba and Camden power stations will be carried out in preparation for the week ahead.

The power utility said it currently has 4,588MW on planned maintenance, while another 17,131MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns.

Eskom will hold a media briefing on Monday to update the public on the state of the power system. Any further significant changes will be promptly communicated.

ALSO READ: Pay more for less: Prepaid electricity – Vendors’ cut sparks uproar

FIND YOUR SCHEDULE HERE:

• City of Tshwane 
• City of Johannesburg
• City of Ekurhuleni 
• City of Cape Town
• Nelson Mandela Bay
• eThekwini
• Manguang
• Buffalo City

For access to other load shedding schedules, Eskom has made them available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.

ALSO READ: More SNOW expected TODAY in parts of South Africa

RAMAPHOSA URGED SOUTH AFRICANS TO GET ROOFTOP SOLAR

President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this month said they intend to enable businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar to generate electricity.

He said South Africa has a great abundance of sun that should be used to generate electricity.

ALSO READ: Is this the end of load shedding? Five things you need to know about the family meeting

“There is significant potential for households and businesses to install rooftop solar and connect this power to the grid.

“To incentivise greater uptake of rooftop solar, Eskom will develop rules and a pricing structure – known as a feed-in tariff – for all commercial and residential installations on its network.” 

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Click here to read more.

We’ve got some easy-to-implement tips from Budget Insurance to get you ready for life with load shedding:

• Keep your property well-lit to help deter potential criminal activities when the power goes off with a few high-wattage solar-powered lights for your garden – and a few LED lights for the inside.
• Check the load shedding schedule and make sure to charge your phone before the power goes off, or invest in a portable phone charger so that you can call for help if necessary.
• If you need to manually open and close your gates when you get home in the evenings, arrange for an escort from your security company to meet you at the house.
• Alarm systems, garage doors and electric gates generally rely on electricity, so make sure that these items all have good backup batteries. It is also wise to add some extra burglar bars or padlocks to potentially vulnerable areas in and around your home, should any of your backup batteries not make it through load shedding. 
• Keep a torch or a solar, battery-powered light that is charged beforehand in multiple, easily accessible locations around your home. Be sure to also have plenty of spare batteries.
• Your fridge and freezer supplies should be okay without power overnight if you do not open and close them repeatedly. If you’re worried about certain food items, prepare an ice box for these.
• Make sure that all appliances – especially those that pose a fire risk if left unattended – are switched off when load shedding starts and gradually turned back on once power returns. This not only minimises the pressure on the grid when the power is turned back on but also minimises the risk of damage to appliances due to power surges or a fire risk causing a power outage to turn into a catastrophe.