Morning Power‑Outage Reality Check
Right after breakfast the lights go off, but at least you already had your coffee. At first it feels more like an annoyance than a crisis. Then City Power releases its latest numbers and shows that things are actually improving.
What the Stats Say
Unplanned outages have dropped by about one‑fifth compared with the previous quarter. The average time customers spend without electricity fell from roughly 24 hours to about 14 hours. Nearly 97 % of disruptions are now fixed within a day.
Why 14 Hours Still Matters
For a city used to long blackouts, a 14‑hour stretch is a step forward—but it’s still long enough to cause real problems. Many Johannesburg families bought backup gear during the load‑shedding years, assuming outages would be short. Those devices weren’t built to keep a house running for most of the day.
The Fuel Is Running Out
By mid‑morning the UPS that keeps the fibre‑optic link alive usually gives up.
If you have an inverter, it can buy you a little more time. A typical 100 Ah lithium battery powering a router, a few LED lights, a TV and a laptop can keep essentials alive for around eight hours when you watch your usage.
That sounds okay until you realise the average outage now lasts almost twice that long.
Lunchtime Decisions
When the clock hits noon, households start asking:
- Should I keep the fridge door shut?
- Is it safe to leave the freezer closed?
- Will the milk last?
- Can dinner wait a few more hours?
The rule is simple: every time you open a fridge or freezer, cold air escapes. A full freezer can stay frozen for about 48 hours if left untouched, while a refrigerator usually stays cool for only a few hours.
As the outage drags on, worry grows—especially for families who just finished their weekly grocery shop.
As the Day Drags On
By late afternoon many battery systems hit their limits.
Some homes switch on a generator, accepting the fuel cost and noise for a few extra hours of power. A small gasoline generator can keep a fridge, lights, TV and Wi‑Fi running; larger units can power most of the house.
But generators come with ongoing chores: fuel must be stored safely, the unit needs regular servicing, and it must always be used outdoors to avoid carbon‑monoxide poisoning.
Others turn to gas stoves, candles, rechargeable lamps or power banks to stretch the remaining juice.
For those who can afford it, solar panels with battery storage offer the closest thing to true independence. A rooftop system can keep essential devices alive even when the inverter battery is empty, and it can recharge during daylight even if the grid stays down.
The downside is price. Depending on size and battery capacity, a solar setup can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of rand—far out of reach for many households, despite the long‑term savings on electricity.
Yay! Electricity’s Back!
When the lights finally flicker on, it can actually be the most expensive moment of the day.
Power surges during restoration can fry TVs, desktop computers, routers, inverters and batteries. Replacing a freezer full of spoiled food can run about R2,000.
A mid‑range TV might cost R8,000‑R15,000. A desktop computer could be R15,000‑R35,000. Swapping out a damaged inverter and its batteries can push the bill even higher—sometimes over R50,000 for a single failure.
The first thought is often: will City Power cover the damage? The answer is sometimes, but getting compensation isn’t always easy.
Making a Claim
To claim, you usually need:
- a failure reference number
- photos of the damaged item
- repair or replacement estimates
- proof of ownership
Food loss adds another layer of hassle. A bank statement might show a R2,000 payment to Checkers or Pick n Pay, but it won’t tell you whether that money bought mince, frozen veg, chicken or ice‑cream. Receipts are often long gone by the time an unexpected outage empties the freezer.
There’s also the question of fault. If the outage stemmed from cable theft, vandalism or another external event, proving City Power was negligent can be tough. That’s one reason why successful household claims stay relatively low, even though long blackouts cause real disruption.
Conclusion
City Power’s latest figures show genuine progress: fewer outages and faster repairs. Fourteen hours without power is a big improvement over the previous 24‑hour average, but it’s still long enough to drain batteries, empty wallets and force Johannesburg residents to plan their lives around the next unexpected blackout.
Load shedding may be fading for many homes, but living without electricity remains a challenge. Until the grid can reliably supply power for a full day, households will keep weighing the costs of generators, solar panels, and careful food management every time the lights go out.
