If you were one of the hopeful few fools who expected some level of consistency from Eskom with regards to load shedding implementation, we’re sorry to burst your bubble. The power utility announced that as of 1pm today load shedding would be bumped from Stage 2 to Stage 4. We’d tell you to bust out the inverters but you’ve probably had them out for over a week already.

Eskom-placency

Eskom’s been jumping between Stage 2 and Stage 4 so often recently that we’re beginning to think they’re trying to confuse us. Or enrage us. Mission accomplished.

What’s more, is in its official statement, the utility explains that “it is necessary to ration the remaining emergency generating reserves, which have been utilized extensively this morning as we are not getting the reduction in demand as expected from the implementation of Stage 2 load shedding”,

Translation: this is your fault for using your power. The nerve.

Furthermore, those additional seven units that were expected to be back up and running after the weekend are still down, to no one’s surprise, and a generating unit at the Arnot power station tripped earlier this morning.

At the moment, breakdowns currently amount to 14,874MW with an additional 5,579MW set aside for planned maintenance. This is less than it was just under a week ago, but still a pretty scary number.

Despite slapping us electricity gluttons on the wrists for daring to turn our lights on at night, Eskom finishes its announcement by apologising for any inconvenience caused by Stage 4. The utility says it will “communicate promptly” should the situation change, by which they really mean they’ll let us know half an hour before that our lights are about to go out.

Stage 4 will continue until 5am this Saturday, after which it’ll be knocked back down to Stage 2. For how long is anyone’s guess at this point.