Eskom implements metre audits as load reduction continues
Eskom has begun doing audits in areas where illegal connections are prevalent.
The power utility has also warned load reduction is a reality that will be with South Africans for some time - targeting densely populated areas where there's a high number of illegal connections.
Eskom says the illegal connections are putting more strain on the national grid.
Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal have been identified as priority provinces.
In Gauteng, Eskom has been targeting areas of Soweto as well as Ekurhuleni.
Eskom's Harish Raghnandan says the audits and load reductions are necessary despite the inconvenience to law-abiding consumers.
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"Unfortunately this is a reality, there are law-abiding citizens who are experiencing the loss of supply, purely because of the fact that they are connected to these networks.
"One thing to note is that if we don't proactively reduce load, the network will inevitably trip. This will result in extended restoration time and unnecessary cost of replacement of the equipment.
"Load reduction attempts to be proactive so that customers can prepare for outages during the peak loading period.”