{"id":1711,"date":"2020-09-06T18:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-09-06T16:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=366320"},"modified":"2020-09-06T18:00:50","modified_gmt":"2020-09-06T16:00:50","slug":"eskom-accused-of-lying-about-load-shedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interwebdev.co.za\/index.php\/2020\/09\/06\/eskom-accused-of-lying-about-load-shedding\/","title":{"rendered":"Eskom accused of lying about load-shedding"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Eskom has denied accusations that it is deliberately deceiving the public on which load-shedding stages it is implementing.<\/p>\n

This comes after energy advisor Ted Blom accused Eskom of lying about its load-shedding levels.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the SABC, Blom said Eskom had implemented stage 6 load-shedding on Thursday night without informing the public.<\/p>\n

He said official Eskom records show the power utility shed in excess of 5,600MW at around 18:30 on 3 September.<\/p>\n

Under the current definition<\/a>,<\/strong> this equates to stage 6 load-shedding, where between 5,000MW and 6,000MW is shed.<\/p>\n

According to Blom, this data showed that Eskom implemented stage 6 load-shedding while people were under the impression that stage 4 load-shedding was in progress.<\/p>\n

Blom accused Eskom of deliberately under-reporting the load-shedding stages for the past month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s wrong with the new leadership \u2013 whether they want to deceive the public or whether it is a board policy that they have changed their categories,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He explained this lack of transparency from Eskom is causing confusion among South Africans who may be experiencing load-shedding when they do not expect it.<\/p>\n

The table below shows the load-shedding information shared by Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha which Blom is referring to.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Eskom Load-Shedding Stages<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage<\/strong><\/td>\nWhat it means<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 1<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 1,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 2<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 2,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 3<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 3,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 4<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 4,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 5<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 5,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 6<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 6,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 7<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 7,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stage 8<\/strong><\/td>\nUp to 8,000 MW of the national load to be shed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eskom Load-Shedding Statistics<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Date<\/strong><\/td>\nLoad-Shedding<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wednesday<\/strong><\/td>\n5,359MW<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thursday<\/strong><\/td>\n5,642MW<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Eskom explains<\/h3>\n

Mantshantsha confirmed he publishes regular statistics about Eskom\u2019s performance during times of load-shedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose statistics show the amount of power produced and the amount of load-shedding,\u201d Mantshantsha said.<\/p>\n

He denied that the figures show that Eskom is deliberately deceiving the public on which load-shedding stages it is implementing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTed Blom knows, or ought to know, that in terms of Nersa\u2019s rule NRS 048-9 once Eskom declares Stage 4 load-shedding, it can request any major industrial customer to curtail up to 20% of load,\u201d Mantshantsha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis amounts to 1,200MW of demand that must be curtailed by industrial customers as part of the licenced load curtailment in terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Load-shedding is what Eskom sheds from the public, and that is what Eskom announced at Stage 4 on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\n

Ted Blom interview<\/h3>\n