City Power has issued a list of suburbs that could face load reductions if their usage continues to test the network's limits

 Residents in these areas could be hit with load reduction and load shedding at the same time

The Citizen

City Power has issued a list of suburbs that could face load reductions if their usage continues to test the network's limits

City Power has warned that Joburg residents could face power cuts if their usage is not curbed during winter.

Several high-density suburbs across the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) have been identified as high-users that could destabilise the grid.

Should the suburbs not curb their usage, City Power says it will be forced to implement load reduction in said areas.

Loadshedding is currently suspended but in the eventuality that it makes a return this winter, City Power confirmed the affected suburbs will face dual electricity constraints. 

“If reinstated, load reduction will continue parallel to load shedding in these areas if energy consumption is not reduced,” revealed City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.

These peak usage levels occurred between four and 10 in the mornings and evenings. 

List of high-usage suburbs

The high-density suburbs needing to lower their usage are:

1. Alexandra
2. Freedom Park
3. Hospital Hill
4. Kliptown
5. Klipfontein
6. Lawley
7. Matholesville
8. Mayibuye
9. Mountain View
10. Naturena
11. Pennyville
12. Pimville Zone 9
13. Precast
14. Princess
15. Slovo
16. Thembelihle
17. Tshepisong
18. Vlakfontein

Should infrastructure fail, it would delay repairs and could have a ripple effect on healthcare services, schools and small businesses, among others.

Suburbs warned two weeks ago

The suburbs received the same warning on 23 May.

The cold snap called for the message to be repeated.

“Although City Power has taken steps to mitigate the impact of the extreme wintry weather on its network, customer cooperation is essential to maintaining a stable and uninterrupted power supply.”