South Africans could soon experience their first-ever stage four load shedding, after Eskom confirmed that the stage allocation would be altered.
The current stages of load shedding are stage one, when 1GW is cut from the grid; stage two, when 2GW is cut from the grid; and stage three, when about 4GW is cut from the grid.
However, Eskom has seldom told customers in its media briefings that stage four actually has two levels, 3A (3GW) and 3B (4GW).
“So, we are planning to change stage three to up to 3GW, and stage four will then be up to 4GW,” an Eskom spokesperson said on Friday.
“The exact date has not yet been confirmed. But it will be in the near future.”
So, the new stages will be:
- Stage one: 1GW
- Stage two: 2GW
- Stage three: 3GW
- Stage four: 4GW
While stage four might sound as if Eskom is taking load shedding to the next level, the move is aimed at creating more options so that the power utility can communicate more efficiently with its stakeholders.
Public enterprises minister Lynne Brown told media at parliament on Wednesday that she had requested Eskom to improve communication with its stakeholders, and that they have formed partnerships with various media companies to improve this process. — Fin24