Smart meters an alternative to load-shedding

Load limiting will limit customers on the normally available capacity of 60 Amps to 10 Amps, however, it still provides adequate power supply to appliances such as televisions, decoders, lights, refrigerators, Wi-Fi routers and security systems. 

Thus, the difference with load limiting, as compared to traditional load-shedding, is that the output power of the meter is limited for the duration of what would have been a load-shedding period. 

According to the Customer Services Senior Manager, Lona Manzana, the concept of Smart Meter Load Limiting and its objectives is a demand management solution that will allow Eskom to accurately determine available supply in relation to consumption in real-time.
She said that Eskom will therefore alert Smart Meter customers, who are above the required consumption threshold, to cut down their electricity usage. 

To activate load limiting, a schedule is sent remotely to the meter during the beginning of the pilot and is set to expire after a predetermined period. 

Customers are encouraged to switch off high-consuming appliances like geysers, stoves, washing machines, and pool pumps during this period. If such appliances are not switched off, the meter will disconnect the supply for a period and display reasons on the meter for the disconnection. In this case, the meter will display “Power overload”. 

During the engagement with customers, Eskom commited to continue drawing lessons from the pilot project, enhance load limiting to the benefit of customers and work with customers to find an innovative solution for all. The project seeks to assist the utility in balancing the required load against the available supply to reduce the impact of load-shedding. 

The project was first piloted last month in the province in Brits.