According to Eskom, Load reduction will be implemented during peak demand periods from 05:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 22:00.
While load shedding remains suspended, Eskom has announced the return of load reduction during the morning and evening peak hours.
City Power temporarily suspended the load reduction during the festive season due to a decrease in electricity use.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the temporary suspension of load reduction is effective from Friday, 20 December, until the end of January 2025.
“This reduction in demand, combined with seasonal factors such as warm weather conditions, have contributed to lower energy usage levels, allowing us to temporarily lift load reduction that had been implemented to safeguard the electricity grid,” Mangena said.
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Areas affected
According to Eskom, load reduction will be implemented during peak demand periods from 05:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 22:00.
The affected areas in Gauteng include:
- Ga-Rankuwa
- Mabopane
- Vereeniging
- Sebokeng
- Cullian
- Meadowlands
- Hartebeesfontein
To see if your area is affected click on, or download, the document below.
Load reduction
Load reduction was implemented last June to ease pressure on the grid, protect its transformers, and discourage illegal connections.
“Despite continued public information campaigns to customers about the implications of electricity theft activities, Eskom has no other option but to implement load reduction to protect its assets from repeated failures and explosions, which pose a risk to human lives,” Eskom said of the programme in July 2024.
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Electricity minister vows to tackle load reduction
The Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has addressed the efforts done by Eskom and his department in dealing with load reduction.
“We are generating more than enough to meet the demand, these are downstream challenges that we are faced with both on the Eskom and municipal side,” he explained.
Ramokgopa said Eskom’s Group Executive for Distribution Monde Bala was “hard at work with municipalities” to address the outages.
“I am leading those efforts to see how we can address the situation.
“Of course, accompanying this is ageing infrastructure and absence of investments,” he added.
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