Here is how to check the load reduction schedule in Gauteng: open Eskom’s official load reduction page, download the Gauteng schedule for the current month, find your suburb to get its block letter, then read off the days and time slots for that block. Load reduction in Gauteng runs from 05:00 to 09:00 and from 17:00 to 22:00, and only areas listed on the schedule are affected.
The steps below show where the schedule lives, how to read it and the mistakes that leave people checking the wrong list.
Why load reduction has its own schedule
Load reduction is not load shedding. Load shedding is a national measure tied to stages. Load reduction is local: Eskom says it switches off specific areas only when the local network is overloaded, to stop transformers and mini-substations from failing. Eskom blames the overloading mainly on illegal connections and electricity theft.
Because of that, a load shedding app or stage announcement tells you nothing about load reduction. Your area can lose power twice a day while the country has no load shedding at all. Our explainer on why Gauteng loses power when there is no load shedding covers the background in more detail.
According to Eskom’s load reduction page, five provinces are now free of load reduction. Only Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remain.
How to check the load reduction schedule in Gauteng, step by step
- Go to Eskom’s official load reduction page. It sits on Eskom’s Distribution site under Outages Information, at eskom.co.za/distribution/load-reduction.
- Download the Gauteng file. Eskom publishes Gauteng as an Excel spreadsheet and KwaZulu-Natal as a PDF. Check the month in the file name before you rely on it. On 1 October 2026 the Gauteng link on Eskom’s page was still the September 2026 schedule.
- Find your area. Search the spreadsheet for your suburb, township, extension or zone. Use your phone’s or computer’s search function (Ctrl+F on a computer) rather than scrolling.
- Note your block letter. Eskom groups areas into blocks, labelled with letters such as A, B and C. The block is what the schedule is built around.
- Read the dates and times for your block. The schedule shows which days your block is switched off and whether it falls in the morning slot, the evening slot or both.
- Check again before the outage. Schedules change. Re-check on the day, especially near the start of a new month or week.
If your suburb is not on the list at all, you are not scheduled for load reduction. An outage in an area that is not listed is more likely a fault or an unplanned outage.
The two time slots
| Slot | Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 05:00 to 09:00 | 4 hours |
| Evening | 17:00 to 22:00 | 5 hours |
These are the times Eskom gives on its official page. A block scheduled for both slots on the same day can be without power for up to 9 hours that day.
Common mistakes when checking
Using the load shedding schedule. Eskom’s separate load shedding site and most load shedding apps show stage-based schedules. They are the wrong list for load reduction.
Stopping at the main area name. Large areas such as Soweto are split into many extensions and zones, and different sections of the same township can fall in different blocks. Match your exact extension or zone, not just the township name.
Relying on a screenshot. Copies of the schedule shared on WhatsApp or social media may be from a previous week or month. Go back to Eskom’s page for the current file.
Assuming Eskom supplies your home. Eskom’s schedule covers areas Eskom supplies directly. If you buy electricity from a municipality, such as City Power in Johannesburg or the City of Tshwane, check that municipality’s outage notices as well.
What to do during load reduction
Eskom has advised customers in load reduction areas to switch off appliances before the scheduled slot. Power surges when supply returns can damage appliances and trip or damage the transformer, which can turn a planned four- or five-hour cut into a much longer outage.
Eskom’s past load reduction notices have asked customers not to log a scheduled load reduction outage as a fault. If your power is off outside your block’s time slot, or does not come back when the slot ends, report it as a fault through Eskom’s customer care line on 08600 37 566.
Reporting what keeps your area on the list
Eskom ties load reduction to network overloading from illegal connections, meter bypasses and theft. You can report these anonymously on the Eskom crime line, 0800 11 27 22. Reducing the load on a transformer is what Eskom says it needs before an area can come off load reduction.
For related Eskom changes affecting Gauteng households, see what to expect from the Eskom smart meter rollout in Gauteng, how Eskom tariffs have risen 973% since 2008 and how the national grid went more than 300 days without load shedding.
Where to check
The only authoritative source for Gauteng load reduction times and areas is Eskom’s load reduction page, which links to the current Gauteng spreadsheet and the KwaZulu-Natal PDF. For outages that do not match your block, contact Eskom customer care on 08600 37 566 or use the Alfred chat bot listed on Eskom’s site.
This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked against Eskom’s official load reduction page.
