More power cuts are 'unlikely'

Cape Town - Power cuts in the winter months ahead are unlikely if the present power saving trends continue, according to Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin.

The overall savings target remains 10%, and the key factor is the behavioural changes that are crucial in the short-term, he told a media briefing at parliament on Thursday.

Erwin said the reason Eskom was able to stop the scheduled load shedding was that "we're starting to see good performance on the savings".

"I think the working group with the top 10 customers is really going well. The industrial customers have been hitting the 10% target quite easily."

The introduction of energy efficient equipment would be very important, he said.

"So some of the work we're doing with the top ten customers is to improve their metering processes to allow for various implements to be put in that can manage the energy load over time."

The need for a price increase

Also, the project to rapidly increase solar geyser usage was well advanced.

Erwin said if these objectives could be achieved, the savings habits maintained and the 10% reduction in demand achieved, "we should have a reserve margin that will give us some comfort".

However, factors such as a bout of extremely cold weather or problems on transmission lines might bring in emergency load shedding.

"We need to warn people about that, but thus far, I must say, the commitment by stakeholders has been very good indeed."

Erwin said he hoped the May 16 energy summit would reach some common understanding about meeting the need for a price increase - which everyone acknowledged was necessary - but in a way that impacted "less on everybody".

The impact on poor households particularly, would be minimised as far as possible.

"So, we hope that on the 16th, with a broad grouping of people ... we will be able to reach some common approach to this. I think the dialogue's been going on well; we're hopeful," Erwin said.

- SAPA