Understanding Load Shedding Blocks
Load shedding is a vital part of local utilities’ strategies to secure reliable electricity supply and help prevent a blackout. It refers to the process of carefully managing the demand for energy in order to ensure the most equitable sharing of available resources. As such, utility companies have divided their customers into blocks, determined according to their electricity usage, with each block allocated a certain amount of load shedding hours in order to spread out risk across all regions. In this guide, we break down exactly what it means to be part of load shedding blocks, and how you can identify which one your home is in.
What are Load Shedding Blocks?
Load shedding blocks refer to geographical areas that share similar characteristics when it comes to energy usage and are assigned specific times when power cuts will take place. Depending on various factors such as household size or number of appliances used, households within a particular block might be assigned more or less time for power outage than another. Generally speaking, utility providers will group an area into four distinct blocks – A-D – with block A receiving roughly twice as much time as Block D per month during peak hours when there’s high demand for energy.
How Do You Know What Block You Are In?
Your local utility company should be able to provide you with specific information about your load shedding block and times allocated for outages. They should also be able to provide additional information relating to load shedding frequencies and requirements in your immediate area if needed. Additionally, most major service providers have sections on their websites where you can check which load shedding block you are in by simply entering your address or postcode into the system search function.
Managing Your Own Load Shedding Hours
Even if your region has been divided into predetermined blocks based on electricity consumption rates, there are still several things you can do around the home that may reduce the strain on local utilities during peak times and minimize the amount of time allocated during scheduled outages:
• Follow energy efficiency guidelines that may lower overall consumption rates;
• Invest in alternative or emergency energy sources (e.g solar batteries);
• Restrict use of certain appliances like air conditioning units during peak periods;
• Reduce number of large electrical appliances (e.g dishwashers) used over short periods;
• Utilize energy back-up plans such as running generators during blackouts;
By following these simple steps, you not only help lessen reliance on limited resources but may find yourself having access to greater amounts of stable electricity throughout the year whilst also lowering your own monthly electricity bill significantly at home!
Calculating Your Load Shedding Block
It is quite easy to determine which load shedding block you fall under. Many municipalities will publish a map online that shows the boundaries of each block. You may also find detailed information and contact numbers in your local municipality website, enabling you to verify which load shedding block you are under.
Alternatively, if you suspect that the details available are not accurate, it may be possible to personally contact the municipal authorities to get confirmation. Once you get your answer from the municipal authority, ensure that all your family members (or any other members who live with you) know which block they are in as well – so that everyone is informed about the power outages and can take necessary steps ahead of time for any inconvenience caused due to load shedding.
It is highly advisable for everyone to locate their exact load shedding block, to avoid confusion and receive appropriate alerts when necessary. This way, one can keep track of when the powering schedule will cause interruptions in service, or when changes have been made through local or nationwide notifications released by electricity providers related to load shedding blocks or additional schedules. With this knowledge and awareness of your block number, you can plan accordingly and prepare yourself for any inconveniences due to outages caused by load shedding.
How to Easily Find Your Load Shedding Block
Load shedding is an increasingly common experience for households across South Africa. With rolling blackouts potentially occurring any hour of the day, it’s important to know your load shedding block in order to predict when electricity will be available. The good news is that you can easily find out what your specific load shedding block is by following these quick and easy steps.
First off, you’ll need to find out which municipality supplies your power. Different cities have different plans for load shedding blocks, so it’s important to make sure you’re referencing the correct source. You can typically look this up on your latest electricity bill or by searching online through the website of your local municipality.
Once you’ve determined which municipality supplies your power, the next step is to locate your individual grid reference number. This information is found at the bottom of each month’s electricity bill and should include a letter followed by four digits – those are your grid reference numbers. Finally, simply enter in those study into a tool provided by Eskom (the national provider of electricity) – they provide an online tool that quickly and accurately connects grid references with their corresponding load shedding blocks!
By carefully following these few steps, consumers should be able to find their individual load shedding block in just a matter of minutes! Now that you’ve found out your own unique block, sit back and relax knowing that you have the knowledge needed to confidently plan ahead for any power cuts that may come along.