[ad_1]
Eskom says illegal connections have damaged hundreds of transformers and mini-substations in Gauteng alone.
These connections can often cause explosions of electrical equipment, especially when they are overloaded beyond their output capacity.
“In Gauteng, there is currently a backlog of approximately 455 transformers and mini-substations that need to be replaced, all damaged by overloads caused by illegal connections,” the utility company said.
This results in communities being without power until equipment can be replaced, which comes at great cost to Eskom.
He explained that the average price of a transformer is around R80,000, while a mini substation costs more than R300,000.
However, Eskom said that more than four months of load reduction has had a significant impact on reducing losses associated with equipment failure.
“Since the introduction of load reduction, we have seen a more than 60% drop in equipment failures,” Eskom said.
In effect, this meant that the company has saved millions of rand on replacements due to the reduced load.
“The amounts involved are significant when considering the roughly R1 billion in losses Eskom suffered from equipment failures in Gauteng alone during 2019/20,” Eskom said.
The following video from Eskom illustrates what illegal connections typically look like.
When you connect your electricity illegally, you are posing a threat to your neighbors and, worse, your children, who may be exposed to deadly illegal cables. To be #YourNeighboursKeeper #ElectricitySafetyMonth pic.twitter.com/kEvgKfWbfe
– Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) August 10, 2020
How load shedding works
First introduced in May, the load reduction is now being rolled out in various areas almost daily.
Charge reduction typically lasts four hours during peak usage hours and typically runs between 05:00 and 09:00, or between 17:00 and 21:00 at night.
It differs from load sharing in that it targets specific areas that are prone to superfluous illegal connections, rather than being implemented on a national scale.
Eskom notifies the affected areas about the load reduction through its social media channels. Below is an example of such a notice on Twitter.
Eskom load reduction notice
Date: September 27, 2020#EskomMpumalanga
See provincial statements below for details and areas that will be affected today from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. pic.twitter.com/mlTtaLNDh1
– Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) September 27, 2020
Communities stepping up
Eskom added that community members in the affected areas were beginning to show interest in working with the utility company to solve the problem of illegal connections.
“While this is a work in progress, communities have come forward and invited Eskom to partner with them to eliminate illegal connections, as happened in Ixopo in southern KwaZulu-Natal a few weeks ago,” Eskom said.
“Activity on the Eskom crime line has also increased, with members of the public offering clues to deal with illegal connections.”
Below are examples of a burning mini substation and illegal electrical connections provided by Eskom on their Twitter profile.
Now Read: Ramaphosa Explains Plan To Stop South African Cargo Shedding
[ad_2]
