Electricity Minister promises end to load reduction within 12 months

702's John Perlman speaks to energy expert Chris Yelland.

Listen below:

Load reduction will come to an end in the next 12 months.

That's the word from Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was briefing the media about the department's series of interventions designed to address the deeper infrastructure and electricity theft challenges that fuel load reduction.

RELATED: Ramokgopa's plan to address load reduction: A tough task, as some municipalities lack both finances and skills - energy analyst 

Load reduction refers to the intentional interruption of electricity in specific areas where the network is overburdened.

"The impact from a customer's perspective – the difference between load shedding and load reduction – it feels the same, you're losing power for several hours a day. So, I think many customers really don't care whether you call it load shedding or load reduction, they just see this as rolling blackouts... the reality is they are two different things, yes, they feel the same, but the causes are completely different."

- Chris Yelland, Energy Expert 

The approach includes major upgrades to outdated distribution infrastructure, particularly in high-growth urban areas, and a national rollout of six million smart meters.

These smart meters are intended to help monitor and manage usage, though Yelland cautions that they must be part of a broader plan that includes enforcement against illegal connections and electricity theft, both of which contribute to localised grid overloads.

"A smart meter on its own does bring certain benefits, but it doesn't deal with illegal connections before the meter, it doesn't deal with bypassing of meters, it doesn't deal with high-level fraud where payments are diverted to the wrong people instead of the utility... you have to deal with this whole chain... you spend a lot of money, but you don't actually solve the problem."

- Chris Yelland, Energy Expert 

Additional solutions involve promoting distributed energy generation, such as rooftop solar and battery storage and microgrid systems in rural or underserved communities. 

"This is a holistic plan, it's not one silver bullet."

- Chris Yelland, Energy Expert 

Yelland calls the plan “credible” and praises the minister’s high level of commitment, noting that Ramokgopa’s determination and track record offer a strong foundation for delivering on this ambitious goal.

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation.