Eskom climbs down to Stage 2 for the rest of Saturday

Port Elizabeth - After shocking South Africa by jumping from Stage 2 loadshedding to Stage 4 rotational loadshedding on Friday, Eskom later announced it will shift back to Stage 2 for the remainder of Friday until 23:00 on Saturday.

"The system continues to be tight, with unplanned breakdowns above 12 000MW necessitating the use of diesel and water reserves for open cycle gas turbines and pumped storage schemes respectively," Eskom said.

"With the incessant rain, we continue to experience coal-handling problems at a number of our power stations as a result of wet coal, which has led to generation units being unable to produce power.

"We remind customers that loadshedding at Stage 4 is no cause for alarm as the system is being effectively controlled. Loadshedding is a highly controlled process, implemented to protect the system and to prevent a total collapse of the system or a national blackout."

It said that during Stage 4 loadshedding, approximately 80% of the country’s demand was still being met.

"We continue to ask customers to reduce demand as a concerted collective effort can help to avoid or lessen the level of loadshedding," Eskom added. 

"As we are experiencing rainy and cooler weather conditions in some parts of the country, we ask that you use efficient heating to keep warm and switch off your geysers over peak periods.

"We will keep South Africans informed about the status of the electricity system and our recovery efforts throughout this period."

Eskom customers can check their loadshedding schedules on the Eskom website (loadshedding.eskom.co.za)  or through the customer contact centre on 0860037566.

"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience during this difficult period."

Here are tips on how to be safe on the road during Eskom loadshedding. You are also advised to check your security system before the lights go out.

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