A dark Africa lays ahead.....load shedding

[Chris_]

We have ongoing issues.

About 15 years back the bigger substation that serves most of the area burnt. As a quick solution they ran alternative cables to certain area to get them up and running. Our was one of them. These cable were left in place.

The problem is these cable are not deep underground and at on point the cable feeding our area crosses over the highway on a bridge.

This is a weak point security wise and cables are often stolen at this point, leaving us without power for long periods. New Years eve seems to be a very opportune time over the last few years.

 

This article popped up in my news feed this morning, I did not know about the protest until I read the article a few moments ago, but it is the residence from mine and surrounding areas.

 

https://boksburgadvertiser.co.za/404678/power-crisis-boksburg-residents-subjected-to-daily-power-outages/

 

Its so sad. There is quite literally nothing you can do. And if we're honest what use is standing in the road peacefully protesting going to do.

 

(Not wanting to open a large can of worms here, but on the face of it) This is why I understand when people dig up roads and burn things to get some attention. They're just so desperately out of options. 

[The Ouzo]

Its so sad. There is quite literally nothing you can do. And if we're honest what use is standing in the road peacefully protesting going to do.

 

(Not wanting to open a large can of worms here, but on the face of it) This is why I understand when people dig up roads and burn things to get some attention. They're just so desperately out of options. 

Fully agree with you. I'm at the point of wanting to burn things.

 

I moved into the suburb 18 years ago. We're in a cul-de-sac with a storm water drain located at the entrance. Since moving in that drain has always had an issue. It used to be mainly with big downpours but has gotten worse over the years. Currently it operates at a trickle.

About 18 months back we started having sewage overflowing out of the manhole into the entrance of the suburb. This after a new builder warehouse was put up opposite the suburb.

The municipals solution to the problem was to tar over the manhole. That has now pushed the problem down into our street.

So we have a street flooded by the rains, and right next to the storm water drain we have sewage spilling into the street. We have to drive through this to get in or out of our street.

 

This has been going on now at its worst since October. The municipality is blaming the residence for throwing foreign object down and we are saying BS, look further upstream.

But other than sending a truck every 3rd day to suck up the S#!T nothing is being done.

 

So you can understand why we are on the verge of doing what everyone else does and burn stuff.

[Frosty]

Even with a system to potentially keep me off the grid for most days, the extended overcast weather and load shedding doesn’t help either.

 

Not enough light to generate sufficient power from the panels (array for the solar geeks), and also not enough direct heat for the solar water heater.

 

First world problems, I guess.

[worriesnot]

Third 'shed in 12 hours.

 

It's going well here. Really well.

 

Well, it did go out 30 minutes late and back on time, so we scored a little.

And we're now reduced to 2h30 sheds; no 4h30 jobbies anymore.

Assuming you're in 2A of course...?

[flymango]

Even with a system to potentially keep me off the grid for most days, the extended overcast weather and load shedding doesn’t help either.

 

Not enough light to generate sufficient power from the panels (array for the solar geeks), and also not enough direct heat for the solar water heater.

 

First world problems, I guess.

 

Hence Eskom's new proposed availability charge - to be paid by everyone connected to the grid. 

[Chris_]

Well, it did go out 30 minutes late and back on time, so we scored a little.

And we're now reduced to 2h30 sheds; no 4h30 jobbies anymore.

Assuming you're in 2A of course...?

Hehe, yes, I did a little double count there just to make the moan sound a little better...

 

2 hours is a lot better. But tomorrow we've gone from no shedding under the old schedule to 2 x 2 hour sessions in the new one. Little bit frustrating.

[The Ouzo]

We were off from 11:30-13-30, and now off again.

[Eddy Gordo]

 

[Frosty]

4 hours ago, Eddy Gordo said:

I stopped reading the comments when Knee House commented.

[DJR]

I wondered if he was referring to power cuts as "this crap" or to what the guy was saying. He almost certainly was NOT referring to accepting skelm crooked thieves as bedfellows. Also, him using the word "honestly" causes a lot of cognitive dissonance in my head.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

13 hours ago, Frosty said:

I stopped reading the comments when Knee House commented.

It doesn't make as much sense but his name should ne rock-glasshouse surely........

[mecheng89]

On 3/15/2020 at 2:32 PM, WeekendWarrior80 said:

More often than not, I see load shedding as an excuse to braai, especially on weekends. Braaied on Friday night, and braaing again a bit later today.

+ve spin, I love it.

[mecheng89]

Are there any current or former Eskom employees that are willing to give first hand accounts of just WTF is happening at the power stations? How can so little f***s be given at such a critical institution? 

I often wonder, when I see Eskom branded vehicles next to the road, whether they don't feel embarrased, wondering when angry "customers" will stone their cars. 

[Vetplant]

31 minutes ago, mecheng89 said:

Are there any current or former Eskom employees that are willing to give first hand accounts of just WTF is happening at the power stations? How can so little f***s be given at such a critical institution? 

I often wonder, when I see Eskom branded vehicles next to the road, whether they don't feel embarrased, wondering when angry "customers" will stone their cars. 

The wife of a colleague of mine is an Industrial Engineer at ESKOM. She worked at Kusile, she now sits in the Strategic Planning department, she is sitting in meetings with Andre de Ruyter a couple of times a week.

His summary of what his wife told him is that the rot is beyond repair. The company culture has just deteriorated to such a degree that it might just be easier to let ESKOM die and build up a new electricity generation and transmission company from scratch. 

But we know that can't happen. 

When I contemplated to do a solar installation a year ago, he told me to do it immediately, because things are only going to get worse going forward. The outlook for our electricity supply isn't pretty.

[DJR]

1 hour ago, mecheng89 said:

Are there any current or former Eskom employees that are willing to give first hand accounts of just WTF is happening at the power stations? .............

Please note that I AM NOT AN ESKOM EMPLOYEE

But

I know one, and once asked him that question.........he rolled his eyes and said that he had just installed a bunch of solar panels, batteries and a back-up generator at home............

[Vetplant]

I think we don't even have the slightest idea of what the "good guys" are up against: