Dear Eskom, please load shed daily until May

[Gaz{M}]

The question is are those diesel turbines still running all the time? They should keep them off and implement load shedding stage 1 at a minimum...

It is not so simple.

1 kWh hour of unserved energy costs the economy at least R75. The diesel only costs R3. It is therefore logical to pay for the diesel.

How can 1kWh hour be worth R75 or more? Simple. Take a business that uses 1kWh per hour. By not having that electricity, they lose 1 hour of productive business.

 

[Compton_effect]

Here's one idea that will also assist in keeping the infrastructure up.
Declare a blanket ban on scrap metal sales of all types for a few months, including the export of scrap metals, specifically copper.
That should cut down on ad-hoc cable theft significantly. I know it will affect the legitimate businesses - but too bad, someone has to get screwed for a while.

 

[Pitbull]

Dear Eskom, please load shed daily until May

The only way out of this mess is to bite the bullet.

Even at level 2 it's not that bad. 2 hours without electricity is annoying but it doesn't change my day. They should make it a permanent solution till their house is sorted. This is actually a win for the consumer as it decreases Eskoms income and they start feeling the pressure. On the flip side they will just increase power rates again to make up for the loss...

 

[ellyally]

Even at level 2 it's not that bad. 2 hours without electricity is annoying but it doesn't change my day. They should make it a permanent solution till their house is sorted. This is actually a win for the consumer as it decreases Eskoms income and they start feeling the pressure. On the flip side they will just increase power rates again to make up for the loss...

Lucky you, up in JHB we get 4.5 hours regardless of stage 1 2 or 3.

 

[saor]

Meant to be out between 10:00 and 12:00 but it's still on. Can it still go out any time between the given hours or if it's not off at the start then it won't go off?

 

[Pitbull]

Lucky you, up in JHB we get 4.5 hours regardless of stage 1 2 or 3.

Yea, City of Tshwane is only 2 hours. On Stage 3 it's 2 different times at 2 hours each so 4 hours total.

 

[MrGray]

There's no point in biting the bullet and load shedding more unless they have the logistical capacity to do maintenance on more than 4000mw at any one time, which seems to be their limit at the moment. I think this is the key restriction that needs to be sorted out. They don't have the skilled workers to maintain and repair faster than it's failing.

 

[ellyally]

Yea, City of Tshwane is only 2 hours. On Stage 3 it's 2 different times at 2 hours each so 4 hours total.

Darn, our stage 3's are generally 8 hours total... spread like 6am-10am then 2pm-6pm etc

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Start by load shedding the non-paying municipalities daily. Then gradually spread it. Don't see why everyone must suffer at the same time...

 

[BandwidthAddict]

Unfortunately, both Eskom and the South African economy are in a death spiral. There are no pain free options but neither Eskom nor the moochers are willing to take the needed pain, they believe businesses and tax payers can take all the pain.

Problem is that this is not the case. The economy was already in trouble before the Eskom issues thanks to an increasing number of economic drains and decreasing producers. Now the system is about to collapse so anyone who can afford it is looking to get out.

This is the beginning of the end for South Africa.

 

[Sonic2k]

The beginning of the end indeed.
I am looking to have an escape route at the ready myself

 

[Ianf1]

Get all Eskom employees to bring their generators and invertors so they can feel the pain. Maybe they can focus on solutions with all their loadshed time!

 

[Electron1]

Joburg stage 1 loadshedding of 4.5 hours means that in theory you only get loadshed one or 2 days a week. I think that is preferable than daily 1 hour loadshedding. If you can plan ahead and be sure that there will be loadshedding some businesses can reschedule work times around that.

So yes call for daily stage 1 loadshedding so we can plan our days.

 

[Gaz{M}]

The problem is loadshedding affects traffic every day, even if you have power at home or work. So that is a major inconvenience for everyone.

I cannot understand why major arterial roads do not have battery backup for traffic lights. It is just idiotic. A single intersection costs R70 000 to backup as a once off cost for 5 years. That's just R38 per day to make a massive difference to traffic flows, wasted time and fuel wastage.

 

[biena]

The problem is loadshedding affects traffic every day, even if you have power at home or work. So that is a major inconvenience for everyone.

I cannot understand why major arterial roads do not have battery backup for traffic lights. It is just idiotic. A single intersection costs R70 000 to backup as a once off cost for 5 years. That's just R38 per day to make a massive difference to traffic flows, wasted time and fuel wastage.

Not when the batteries get stolen every time they are replaced.
JHB tried the solar route found it too expensive.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/it-s-no-go-for-solar-powered-traffic-lights-1.407910

 

[Rickster]

How are we getting power right now?

Koeberg, diesel and what else?

Dont we have one hydroelectric power plant?


And coal power plants? Whats happened to them?

 

[TheMightyQuin]

The problem is loadshedding affects traffic every day, even if you have power at home or work. So that is a major inconvenience for everyone.

I cannot understand why major arterial roads do not have battery backup for traffic lights. It is just idiotic. A single intersection costs R70 000 to backup as a once off cost for 5 years. That's just R38 per day to make a massive difference to traffic flows, wasted time and fuel wastage.

I don't understand why all these fat traffic cops cannot direct traffic at "dead" intersections? With load shedding schedules, sure traffic departments should also plan for this. WTF are they doing all day long?

 

[Kloofvreter]

I'm not so sure about this loadshedding. In 2008 (our around there), we had it for quite a while, and then it stopped for years. What got better? I know this sounds dumb, but it's a question.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

I don't understand why all these fat traffic cops cannot direct traffic at "dead" intersections? With load shedding schedules, sure traffic departments should also plan for this. WTF are they doing all day long?

 

[TheMightyQuin]

Meant to be out between 10:00 and 12:00 but it's still on. Can it still go out any time between the given hours or if it's not off at the start then it won't go off?

I was also p'd off today when the wrong zones were shed. BUT: CoCT made a big effort to inform all and sundry of the new schedules but NOT of the NEW ZONES !! We and 2 of our biggest clients were always Zone 1 but suddenly were shed during Zone 6 schedules. After closer look at map with hew schedules we see that the border was moved.

Ai jirre...now we at least know.