Plan for R3,000 smart meters to remotely switch off geysers in South Africa

Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has reiterated the government’s plan to install smart meters to remotely control South Africans’ geysers to reduce demand and end load-shedding.

Households consume roughly 16% of all Eskom’s installed capacity, and during peak times, this rises to 35%.

Half of this consumption is from geysers. Thus, as part of the solution to end load-shedding, the government wants to ensure that geysers are turned off when not in use.