Eskom extends plan to control electricity supply to every home in South Africa

[Nat Quinn]

Eskom has expanded the rollout of smart meters that limit households’ electricity usage to Riverside View in Johannesburg after successfully implementing its pilot programme in Fourways.

Aside from improvements to the performance of its generation fleet to reduce load-shedding, Eskom is looking to remotely manage household electricity demand by installing smart meters.

Eskom’s group executive for distribution, Monde Bala, said the rollout of smart meters to residential properties will continue apace in the coming months as part of Eskom’s demand-side management programme.

In response to questions from Daily Investor about the rollout of smart meters, Eskom said Fourways residents received the programme very well despite some challenges.

“In the initial phase of rolling out the pilot, we experienced some challenges which we addressed as the pilot progressed,” Eskom said.

The utility said it constantly engaged with residents and had to dispatch technical teams several times to resolve challenges experienced by customers.

Following the successful implementation of smart meters in Fourways, Eskom has since expanded the programme to Riverside View.

Eskom said residents in the area are also receiving the programme well.

The smart meters support two-way communication, which empowers Eskom to limit the power supply to a home.

Bala said the smart meters enable the utility to reduce the current passing into a household from 60 amps to 10 amps.

This allows the property to keep some basic appliances on, such as lights, a TV, and a WiFi router.

Reducing the current to 10 amps will also ensure that traffic lights in the area remain functional.

However, households will not be able to use energy-intensive appliances such as geysers, microwaves, and kettles.

NATIONAL ROLLOUT

Eskom wants to install a smart meter in every South African household. It is set to cost R16 billion and take four years.

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa defended this plan in an interview with eNCA earlier this year.

Households consume roughly 16% of Eskom’s installed capacity, and during peak times, this rises to 35%.

Half of this consumption is from geysers. Thus, as part of the solution to end load-shedding, the government wants to ensure that geysers are turned off when not in use.

Ramokgopa clarified that this does not mean South Africans will not have hot water when needed. Instead, they will only have hot water when they need it.

According to the government’s estimates, turning off geysers can save 3,500 MW of electricity. They aim to reduce the demand for geysers by a minimum of 1,000 MW.

South Africans turning off geysers “contributes to the resolution of the energy crisis” and will also result in significant savings for consumers.

The smart meter installation costs an estimated R3,000, which Ramokgopa said will be recouped in savings from lower electricity consumption within five months.

A “major financier” will also partner with the government to facilitate the rollout of the smart meters and provide financing for poorer households.

Ramokgopa said South Africans should do this out of “genuine commitment to resolving the problem of load-shedding”.

eNCA’s presenter, Heidi Giokos, pushed back by saying that South Africans did not put themselves in this crisis and, thus, should not be forced to switch off their appliances.

The minister replied, “You can make that argument and remain in the dark.”

He said everyone has to work together to solve load-shedding, with the government taking most responsibility but not all.

 

source:Eskom extends plan to control electricity supply to every home in South Africa (mybroadband.co.za)

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