Joburg residents laud Eskom’s smart meters initiative

Residents of Fourways, north of Johannesburg, and surrounding areas say Eskom’s load limiting initiative which enable them to escape power cuts during stage 1 to 4 of load shedding is working exceptionally well.

The project involves the installation of smart meters in homes with phase one of the project having begun in Fourways last month.

Before loadshedding starts, the smart meter will prompt customers to reduce their consumption by sending a message through the meter or via sms.

The meters allow customers to continue to use essential appliances and keep the lights on during stages 1 to 4 loadshedding.

These residents believe the project is a good idea.

“It’s been fine for me. We are South Africans that are responsible. So, even though there is load shedding, we have our tv on and our fridge. No geyser, no washing machine, dish washer, so we preserve energy. I think it’s a very good thing,” a resident explains.

“If you stay within the limit, it actually works. It had the tendency at one stage to freeze the smart meter. But for the rest, I think its a great idea and it works well,” another resident elaborates.

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