TV alerts for S Africa power cuts

The alerts will be screened during advertising breaks

South Africa's national electricity supplier is planning to flash warnings on television to alert consumers when the power supply is running low.

The country has endured frequent power cuts recently due to increased demand and problems with a nuclear station.

With winter beginning, more shortages are expected as South Africans turn on electric heaters.

Electricity company Eskom will issue colour-coded alerts, meaning users should turn off certain appliances.

"If we are in the green, everything is still OK, when we move to orange consumers will have to switch off non-essential appliances," Latetia Venter of Eskom told the BBC News website.

ELECTRICITY ALERTS Green: No problem Orange: Switch off swimming pool pumps, dishwashers, tumble dryers, kettles, water heaters. Red: Switch off stoves and heaters

"Then there's the red zone. In this zone you will be requested not use stoves and heaters."

"The alert on TV will have a barometer on one side of the screen... with arrows indicating the zone we are in.

"At the bottom of the screen there will be an information bar with instructions on which appliances to switch off."

The 15-second alerts, which will be screened during advertising breaks, are due to begin later in May.

Radio

There will also be radio announcements in some provinces indicating the colour-coded status of the electricity supply.

Eskom had looked at international precedents, Ms Venter said, including Brazil where several years ago a drought caused a shortage of power from hydroelectric stations, and the alerts system had worked very well.

"People were sensitised after a series of blackouts there. Up to 60% of people dropped their [electricity] load."

South Africa's electricity supply has lagged behind economic growth and the electrification of new neighbourhoods, causing regular power cuts in recent years.

Cape Town suffered particularly severe cuts earlier this year, as the result of a malfunction at Koeberg, the country's only nuclear power station.