By Nandi Ntini.
City Power has announced a temporary suspension of load reduction effective from Friday until the end of January 2025.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said this decision came as a result of a significant drop in electricity demand observed during the festive season.
However, should we notice a worrying spike in consumption, City Power would be left with no option but to initiate load reduction even during this period, he said. “Many companies, industries and other energy-consuming entities have shut down operations for the December holidays. Additionally, numerous residents have travelled away from Johannesburg to spend time with family and friends, resulting in a marked decrease in electricity consumption across the city,” he said.
“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.”
The entity said the load reduction, implemented since June, was necessary to prevent potential overloads, and ensure the stability of the electricity supply. However, other measures that were part of the comprehensive load reduction strategy, such as the eradication of illegal connections will continue.
“Although the implementation of the two-hourly power supply interruption will be put on hold for the time being, we wish to remind customers to continue using electricity sparingly to avoid triggering the need for an emergency reinstatement of load reduction,” Mangena said.
He advised customers to note the reintroduction of load reduction may occur under extreme circumstances, and could be implemented with little to no prior notice, should it be necessary to protect the grid from potential collapse.