Eskom has urged South Africans to use electricity conservatively during peak hour periods when the country experiences high energy consumption, typically from 5pm to 9pm, as part of its Demand-side Management (DSM) initiative to effectively manage the supply and demand of electricity.
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This appeal follows last week’s national DSM Indaba’s inaugural session, where various measures to help the state-owned power utility reduce power cuts were discussed.
Eskom’s board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, said that the DSM initiative effectively manages customers’ energy consumption and reduces peak demand or overall consumption during specific periods.
Makwana said, ‘The effective implementation of the DSM programmes could create a win-win situation – reducing pressure on the power system and enabling consumers to realise cost savings by being more energy conscious and reducing their consumption without affecting business productivity or quality of life.’
‘DSM is not a South African concept. It is global phenomenon with the best-in-class countries already using technology to manage demand. The array of policy measures to incentivise demand-side participation, promote energy conservation and reduce peak demand can be replicated in our country.’
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni declared that implementing DSM measures has proven to be effective in mitigating peak demand and encouraging energy conservation. Ntshavheni went on to explain that the DSM’s objective is to preserve roughly 1,000MW of electricity, equivalent to one stage of loadshedding.
Ntshavheni further highlighted that South Africa had successfully demonstrated the efficacy of DSM during the 2010 World Cup. She emphasised that reducing energy consumption not only alleviated pressure on the electricity grid but also resulted in cost savings for households.
Eskom has reportedly made notable progress in several of its DSM initiatives, such as energy efficiency, demand response, distributed generation, and energy storage.
The state-owned entity has been actively promoting energy-efficient programmes and piloting energy-saving measures, including transitioning from conventional incandescent light bulbs (ICLs) to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
Eskom’s ‘Use electricity smartly’ campaign is also gaining traction in South Africa. The initiative is aimed at empowering citizens with the knowledge necessary to reduce their electricity consumption during the peak evening hours from 5pm to 9pm. The campaign seeks to promote responsible electricity usage and encourage energy conservation, with the ultimate goal of reducing demand on the national grid during peak periods.
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Picture: Unsplash
