What is stage 6 load-shedding and how could it affect you?

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Eskom has cautioned that power cuts could be escalated from stage 4 to stage 6 if more units fail and diesel runs out. 

The embattled power utility this week said stage 4 load-shedding would be implemented until 5am on Friday. It would then be lowered to stage 2 until Monday morning if all goes according to plan.

Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer said during an update on Wednesday that Eskom might have to implement stage 6 load-shedding if it runs out of resources.

“This being the fourth day of extremely high diesel usage, the emergency reserves are being depleted faster than can be replenished,” he said on Wednesday.

Stage 4 load-shedding was implemented to give the utility the space to replenish emergency reserves and continue to manage the system safely, Eskom said.

What is stage 6 load-shedding? 

Stage 6 load-shedding doubles the frequency of stage 3, which means areas could be affected 18 times over four-day periods for four hours at a time, or 18 times over eight days for about two hours at a time.

“The combined effect would be a further six stages of load-shedding. So it is critically important to balance these emergency resources together with load-shedding to ensure we manage the power system safely while keeping the stage of load-shedding as low as possible,” said Oberholzer. 

How can stage 6 affect me? 

Stage 6 indicates that Eskom would need to shed 6,000MW of power to keep the national power grid from collapsing, which will leave the power utility starting additional, and possibly unscheduled, power cuts wherever it needed to.

This means your area could experience blackouts at any time, possibly without warning.

What can I do to limit the impact of load-shedding?

Eskom appealed to South Africans to help limit the impact of load-shedding by reducing electricity use and switching off all non-essential items.

Previously, Eskom said ways to conserve power include reducing the size of cooking pots and pans, cutting down on cooking time, and spending money on high-quality cookware, despite the ailing economy and high unemployment rate many South Africans are facing.

Eskom offered the following electricity-saving tips:

• The size of cooking pots and pans — if you are preparing a small meal, you should use a smaller pan or pot;
• The right appliance — depending on what you are cooking, you may find it is better to choose an energy-efficient countertop appliance;
• Clean your stove top — the best way to ensure you do not waste power with a grimy stove top is to clean it often;
• Cut down cooking time — reduce cooking time by waiting until the last minute to preheat the oven when you use it.
• Spend money on high-quality cookware — glass or ceramic pans are better in the oven, and pans with a copper bottom are better on stove tops.

LISTEN | Load-shedding could go up to stage 6 this week, says Eskom