Storms, load-shedding lead to increased electricity service requests

07 June 2023

The City experiences increased electricity service requests during periods of inclement weather, typically resulting in damage. Non-stop load-shedding, especially at higher stages, makes it worse. Theft and vandalism of infrastructure during these times are also extremely challenging. City teams are thus attending to large numbers of weather and load-shedding-related outages across the metro. The City apologises for any inconvenience.

'There are a number of areas across the metro, including Ravensmead, Crawford, Manenberg, Cape Town City Centre, Gardens, Rondebosch, Wynberg, Mitchells Plain, Lotus River, parts of Mfuleni, parts of Bloemhof, parts of Parow Valley and parts of Windsor Park, which are currently experiencing unplanned outages. Our teams are attending to these and we apologise for any inconvenience. It is often not possible to give an exact time for restoration where damage to infrastructure is involved and where an outage affects a large area. We encourage residents to make use of the correct service channels to report outages via SMS and email. Residents are reminded to only use one reporting channel and not log multiple requests as duplication can cause delays,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Councillor Beverley van Reenen.

Trees affecting electricity infrastructure

'The City dedicates resources to trim trees and vegetation on its property to reduce the risk of outages caused by trees encroaching onto power lines and electricity infrastructure. Property owners are also encouraged to safely maintain their trees and vegetation. Stormy weather usually contributes to an increase in power outages, especially where tree branches grow over and into overhead power lines. Residents should contact professionals for assistance where the work is too dangerous or difficult to perform,' said Councillor Van Reenen.

Please see here for more information: https://www.capetown.gov.za/Media-and-news/Don't allow tree emergencies to take root this winter
Should residents be concerned that there is a risk of trees on City property encroaching on City overhead power lines, they are encouraged to report these cases to the City's Fault Reporting Centre on 0860 103 089 or power@capetown.gov.za
For information on new load-shedding trends impacting neighbourhoods, please visit https://www.capetown.gov.za/Media-and-news/Top%20new%20load-shedding%20trends%20impacting%20neighbourhoods