Eskom to implement stage 6 rolling blackouts from 4pm

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Eskom says it will implement stage 4 rolling blackouts from this hour to 2 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. Thereafter, stage 6 will kick in until 5 o’clock on Thursday morning.

The power utility says this is due to the loss of additional generating units overnight, extensive use of Open Gas Cycle Turbines and inability to replenish pumped storage dam levels.

This pattern will be repeated daily until further notice.

Smart meter project

Meanwhile, City Power in Johannesburg has sought to explain the importance of Eskom’s smart meter project.

It’s being rolled out in parts of Johannesburg in efforts to reduce energy demand.

The smart meters will reportedly allow customers to switch their geysers on and off remotely by using smartphones.

City Power’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena explains, “The smart meter project is basically part of a bigger project which is upon …. the whole discontinuation of the current units or tokens, whereby you recharge or go to the store or garage to buy electricity and then you punch them in your meter and you get electricity. So, those numbers are coming to an end in November 2024.”

The audio below is reporting more on the story:

#LoadsheddingUpdate

Wednesday, 12 July 2023: Due to the loss of additional generating units overnight, the extensive use of Open Gas Cycle Turbines and the inability to replenish pumped storage dam levels, Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented at 07:00 this morning until…

— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) July 12, 2023

Water cuts

Rand Water 58-hour planned water shutdown commenced on Tuesday night. The water utility has warned that some areas may not have access to water by 5am on Friday morning.

The shutdown was planned for 7pm (Tuesday) and will continue until Friday morning at 5am.

Rand Water confident it will conclude its project as planned: Makenosi Maroo