Eskom hopes to avoid load shedding

Johannesburg - Eskom hopes the need for rolling blackouts will not arise on Monday as most businesses resume operations after the festive season.

"The power system is currently constrained but stable," the power utility's spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said just after 10:00.

"At this stage, Eskom is able to meet the rising electricity demand, and our aspiration is not to implement load shedding at any given point."

On Friday stage one rolling blackouts were implemented from 11:00 to just after 17:00 as demand for electricity exceeded supply. Stage one allows for up to 1 000 MW of the national load to be shed.

READ: First load shedding of 2015 begins

Phasiwe urged consumers to use electricity sparingly to help reduce demand.

"Because we’re operating an old power system which is prone to technical failures, any extra load or faults in the system may necessitate the need to implement load shedding."

The City of Cape Town said on Monday it would change its rolling blackout schedule, which had been in place since 2008, from February 1.

"With this new schedule, the city will ensure that residents always experience scheduled power outages at a different time and weekday than before, thereby rotating the inconvenience of power outages across all supply areas," mayoral committee member for utility services Ernest Sonnenberg said.

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