
Parts of Gauteng will be without electricity between 5pm and 10pm on Sunday after power utility Eskom announced another round of load reduction.
The utility tweeted out the list of areas that would be without power on Sunday afternoon.
#Eskom_Gauteng #MediaStatement
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) June 21, 2020
LOAD REDUCTION - GAUTENG
Sunday, 21 June 2020: We are implementing load reduction from 17:00 – 22:00 to avoid network overloading. pic.twitter.com/p617S5Na3j
Eskom says load reduction differs from load shedding, as it only implemented in specific areas when the utility fears that illegal connections and overloading may cause power outages.
When load reduction takes place the utility preemptively switches off power to keep its infrastructure operational.
Load shedding, meanwhile, affects the whole country, and occurs when Eskom's technicians tell it it needs to reduce national electricity demand to stop the country's grid becoming overloaded.
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha tweeted on Sunday evening that load reduction is not the utility's fault.
Loadshedding = @Eskom_SA's fault. Load reduction = To stop thieves stealing electricity through illegal connections and meter bypassing, destroying transformers and substations
— SikonathiMantshantsh (@SikonathiM) June 21, 2020