Load-limiting confusion 

Eskom’s load-limiting pilot project, aimed at allowing households to continue using non-power-hungry appliances during load-shedding, has raised questions regarding its application in complexes with communal power feeds.  

According to Eskom, only standalone houses and larger estates with individual Eskom meters and accounts are eligible for load-limiting. However, some residents in complexes with a single meter and account have reported that their power hasn’t been shut off during load-shedding.  

The lack of customer interface units (CIUs) and direct contact with Eskom in these complexes raises concerns about communication and enforcing load-limiting consumption limits. Eskom did not provide clarity on how load-limiting would work in such estates.  

The load-limiting project has received criticism from former Eskom transmission senior manager Hein Vosloo, who believes smart meters are expensive and rollout will take too long. He supports the idea of automated load limiting using a device that measures grid frequency, eliminating the need for costly smart meters. 

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