Stage 5 and 6 load shedding to continue indefinitely

·19 Apr 2023

Power utility Eskom says that the current rotational schedule, moving between stage 5 and stage 6 load shedding, will continue indefinitely.

Stage 6 load shedding will continue to be implemented until 05h00 on Thursday (19 April), followed by stage 5 load shedding until 16h00. Stage 6 load shedding will return for the evening between 16h00 and 05h00 again.

This pattern will repeat until further notice, Eskom said.

The schedule is below:

Wednesday, 19 April

Stage 6: until 00h00

Friday, 20 April

Stage 6: 00h00 to 05h00
Stage 5: 05h00 to 16h00
Stage 6: 16h00 to 00h00

Saturday, 21 April

Stage 6: 00h00 to 05h00
Stage 5: 05h00 to 16h00
Stage 6: 16h00 to 00h00

The group moved to the schedule on Monday, following an extended period of all-day load shedding at stage 6. The utility has been unable to boost supply enough to warrant an easing of stages.

The situation has deteriorated to the point the group had to implement the equivalent of stage 7 load shedding on Tuesday evening (18 April), after breaching the stage 8 equivalent last week.

Eskom says that even though it is load shedding at levels beyond stage 6 (over 6,000MW), the load shedding stages are not higher due to load curtailment taking place.

On Tuesday, the group shed 6,226MW from the grid, which included stage 6 load shedding, and stage 4 load curtailment.

The grid remains under severe strain despite Koeberg unit 1 being synchronised to the grid late on Sunday (16 April).

Schedules

For people living in the major metros, load shedding schedules are available here:

For access to other load shedding schedules, Eskom has made them available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.

Smartphone users can also download the app EskomSePush to receive push notifications when load shedding is implemented, as well as the times the area you are in will be off.

Read: Eskom’s ‘quick fix’ to cut load shedding could kill hundreds

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