Johannesburg: Over one million customers have been removed from load reduction schedules as Eskom reports improved electricity generation performance, which has enabled the utility to meet increasing winter demand while reducing reliance on diesel-fired generation.
According to South African Government News Agency, Eskom's latest power system update highlights the benefits of its Generation Recovery Plan, which has strengthened system performance by increasing generation availability, reducing unplanned outages, and improving operational reliability. The Load Reduction Eradication Programme has made notable progress, with about 1,099,430 customers removed from load reduction schedules, representing 65% of the 1.69 million customers targeted under the programme.
Eskom announced that load reduction has been entirely eliminated in five provinces, and the utility is on track to achieve elimination in seven provinces by October 2026 and nationally by 2027. The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has increased to 64.29% for the financial year-to-date, reflecting sustained progress under Eskom's turnaround strategy. This figure is an improvement from 58.54% during the same period last year, driven by reduced unplanned outages and more consistent performance across the generation fleet.
Average unplanned outages declined to 9,850MW between 26 June and 2 July 2026, compared to 14,981MW during the same period last year. The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor also improved to 20.69% from 31.33% over the same period.
Eskom reported zero diesel usage during the reporting week, resulting in no diesel expenditure. For the financial year to date, diesel expenditure stands at R746.41 million, significantly lower than the R4.86 billion spent during the same period last year, marking an 84.65% reduction.
South Africa has now experienced 413 consecutive days without load-shedding since 16 May 2025, with electricity demand being comfortably met. Eskom's Winter Outlook, published in April, projects no load-shedding throughout the winter period ending 31 August 2026. The utility has also deployed 1,861,180 smart meters nationwide to help eliminate load reduction.
Despite the stable power system, Eskom warned about the risks posed by illegal electricity connections and meter tampering, urging customers to report such incidents. Eskom reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating load reduction nationally by 2027.