Eskom says its power stations were available to generate electricity 65.46% of the time over the latest period, up 6.52 percentage points from a year ago. The utility has also cut back on “load reduction” — targeted power cuts used to protect overloaded local networks — which now affects about 7% of customers. A sixth province has been declared free of load reduction, a move Eskom says benefits more than one million customers.
The energy availability factor is a simple measure of how often Eskom’s plants can run, taking into account maintenance and breakdowns. A higher figure means fewer breakdowns or better managed maintenance, giving the grid more breathing room. Load reduction is different from national “load shedding”: instead of rotating power cuts across the whole country to balance supply and demand, Eskom selectively cuts power in areas where local infrastructure is at risk from overloading or illegal connections. Fewer areas on load reduction suggests local networks are coping better, at least for now.
The improvement matters because a steadier supply lowers the risk of abrupt power cuts that disrupt factories, retailers, and public services. Municipalities in areas freed from load reduction should also collect more reliable electricity revenue, which can feed back into maintenance of local networks. That said, Eskom’s coal fleet remains old, and winter demand spikes, deferred maintenance, or a handful of large unit failures could quickly erode these gains. The sustainability of this performance will hinge on keeping unplanned breakdowns in check and completing scheduled maintenance without slipping.
If Eskom can hold availability near current levels while bringing more areas off load reduction, day‑to‑day power stability will improve for households and businesses. Watch the trajectory of the energy availability factor through the peak‑demand months, the rate of unexpected breakdowns, the use of diesel‑fired emergency plants, and whether additional provinces are declared load‑reduction free — these will show whether today’s progress is becoming a durable trend.
In practical terms, Eskom's energy availability factor rose to 65.46% year‑on‑year, lowering planned load reductions to about 7% of customers and making a sixth province load‑reduc. Watch the next communication from Eskom for confirmation of direction and follow-through.
For more detail, read the full announcement.