Staff Reporter.
State owned power utility Eskom takes proactive measures with the launch of its campaign, ‘Save Your Transformers, Save Live’ ahead of winter season.
Eskom reveals a concerning statistic: over 2000 transformers nationwide are struggling under the weight of illegal connections and tampering, leading to overloads and explosions.
“Extended periods without electricity in communities can result from this situation,” the utility emphasises in a statement.
In the past 12 months, Eskom said it spent over R300 million replacing failed transformers and mini-substations, without any revenue for its efforts.
“This threatens the ability to deliver on its mandate to supply quality electricity to its customers.”
The call-to-action campaign, Eskom said, urges electricity users to reduce their consumption to ease the load on the power system and prevent related injuries.
The utility also warned that several safety incidents and equipment failures are directly linked to these unlawful activities.
They, according to Eskom, not only endanger lives but also disrupt supply continuity and cause extensive damage to transformers and related infrastructure.
Meanwhile, illegal connections, network equipment theft, vandalism, meter bypasses, unauthorised network operations, purchasing electricity from illegal vendors, and indiscriminate electricity use significantly burden network equipment.
“As the load increases, transformers can fail and explode, posing serious safety risks to unsuspecting members of the public, potentially resulting in injuries and fatalities. The failure of transformers, mini-substations, and other equipment also causes great inconvenience to customers, as replacements can take days to months, given the frequency of such damages.”
This is the reason that members of the public can contribute to the ‘Save Your Transformers, Save Lives’ campaign by refraining from illegal connections and promoting responsible energy practices.
“This will help protect lives, safeguard property, and maintain the reliability of the electrical infrastructure,” Eskom added.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.