Load-shedding is coming at a severe personal cost to South Africans, with power surges causing appliances to be damaged or destroyed. South Africans have been experiencing the worst year of rolling blackouts in 2023, and with load-shedding often comes power surges that can damage electrical equipment.
The damage to electrical equipment often occurs when power is restored after load-shedding. A rush of electricity exceeding the typical voltage supplied to households can occur. Any device connected to mains power at the time is at risk of being irreversibly damaged. However, power surges affect different types of electrical appliances differently, and their risk for damage caused by load shedding differs.
How load-shedding works means that whenever the power comes back on, and a technician flips a switch at your nearby substation, this sends a surge of roughly 11 000 volts into the circuit. Load shedding is problematic because single-phase power in the average home runs on 230 volts, which means that when the power comes back on, all the appliances in that area are exposed to this surge in voltage, much higher than 230 volts. While it lasts only a split second, it's long enough to damage electrical equipment, mainly when it happens multiple times daily.
In April last year, TrendER/infoQuest, a leading online research provider in South Africa, looked at the effects of load shedding on South African consumers. One year later, the survey noted significant increases in several damages-related areas. The study interviewed 300 respondents across all the provinces in South Africa.
Three in four South Africans have had at least one home appliance damaged or destroyed due to load shedding (up from 57% a year ago). The loss of fridge contents and damage/destruction to gate motors has also increased since April 2022. One in three respondents also claimed that their home-operated businesses have been seriously affected. As a result of security alarms being inactive during load shedding, 16% have had a burglary/home invasion (up from 11% a year ago)," reads the report.
Whilst South Africans are having a hard time in their households due to load shedding, the president and government departments have established five critical interventions that are now the key focus of the plan: 1. Fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply system stability and increase generation capacity; 2. Enable and accelerate private investment in generation capacity; 3. Accelerate procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas, and battery storage; 2. Unleash businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar; and 5. Fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security.
Despite the interventions made by the government, Some South Africans still need to be hopeful, as there are indications that load shedding will start to ease in the foreseeable future.
"I have already lost two electric kettles due to this load shedding. I sometimes forget to unplug my appliances, and when the electricity comes back, it comes with high voltage and burns my appliances," said the resident in Mahikeng, who refused to reveal their identity.
"I have lost hope that the load shedding will end soon because it has been with us for years, and it seems like it is getting worse daily. You sometimes hear stories about how the government ate the money meant to be spent on whatever was supposed to be fixed, so how long will it take to fix this one?" asked the lady.
