Eskom has launched a campaign called “Save Your Transformers, Save Lives” in anticipation of dropping temperatures during the winter months.

According to the power utility, more than 2 000 transformers nationwide are overloaded due to illegal connections and tampering, which can result in overloading and explosions.

The utility said it had spent over R300 million replacing failed transformers and mini-substations over the past 12 months.

Illegal connections, network equipment theft, vandalism, meter bypasses, unauthorised network operations, purchasing electricity from illegal vendors, and indiscriminate electricity use significantly burden network equipment, Eskom said in a statement.

Eskom said that several safety incidents and equipment failures were directly linked to these unlawful activities. “These activities not only endanger lives but also disrupt supply continuity and cause extensive damage to transformers and related infrastructure.”

The call-to-action campaign urges electricity users to reduce their consumption to ease the load on the power system and prevent related issues. 

“As the load increases, transformers can fail and explode, posing serious safety risks to unsuspecting members of the public, potentially resulting in injuries and fatalities. The failure of transformers, mini-substations, and other equipment also causes great inconvenience to customers, as replacements can take days to months, given the frequency of such damages.”