Eskom hits 67,87% availability as diesel bill falls R4,89bn

Eskom’s year-to-date energy availability factor (EAF) has climbed to 67,87%, the highest level recorded since October 2020, the utility said in its weekly system update published on Friday, 28 August 2026.

The figure is a 6,97 percentage point improvement on the 60,9% achieved over the same period last year, and 12,4 percentage points better than three years ago, when the generation recovery plan began in March 2023. That recovery has returned roughly 6 189MW of generating capacity to the grid.

Unplanned outages have fallen sharply alongside it. For the financial year to date, the unplanned capacity loss factor (UCLF) stands at 19,58%, down 7,84 percentage points on the same period last year. Average unplanned outages have dropped by 6 873MW over three years, from 16 130MW to 9 257MW, a recovery Eskom compares to restoring the combined capacity of Medupi and Kriel power stations.

The diesel number

The clearest financial effect sits in the diesel account. Open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) expenditure for the period 1 April to 27 August 2026 fell 82,38% year on year to R1 044,51 million, from R5,93 billion a year earlier. OCGT generation over the same period stands at 132,65GWh, about 86,75% lower than last year, with the load factor at 1,10% against 8,27% previously and well below the 3% annual target.

From March 2023 to March 2026, diesel expenditure fell by R23,0 billion.

Seven of South Africa’s nine provinces have been completely removed from load reduction.

Eskom attributes the drop to sustained fleet performance rather than to a single intervention. More than 79% of the coal fleet is currently running at EAF levels between 61% and 98%, according to the update, and planned maintenance has been kept up rather than deferred: the year-to-date planned capacity loss factor averaged 12,36% of total capacity, higher than 11,21% over the same period last year.

The system also carries headroom. Eskom reports 5 728MW held in cold reserve because of excess capacity. Friday’s evening peak was forecast at 23 360MW against available capacity of 26 419MW, with 4 689MW expected to return online before the evening peak on Monday, 31 August 2026.

Load reduction, and where it is stuck

South Africa has now recorded 469 consecutive days without loadshedding since 16 May 2025, and the utility’s Winter Outlook, published on 22 April 2026 for the period to 31 August 2026, continues to project none.

Load reduction, the targeted switching used in high-loss areas, is being wound down. Seven of the nine provinces are entirely free of it, with 566 of 971 targeted feeders removed, about 58%. Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape, the Free State, the North West and the Northern Cape have all reached full elimination. Gauteng has cleared 244 of 604 feeders, 40,4%, and KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State together have cleared 130 of 193.

An estimated 1 204 634 customers are no longer affected, about 71% of the 1,69 million targeted, leaving 6,8% of Eskom’s 7,2 million customers still on load reduction. Eskom is working to an October 2026 target to remove the remaining provinces, with a phased programme to end load reduction entirely by 2027.

The programme’s weak point is installation work, not generation. Of a 577 347 smart meter target for high-priority areas, 509 515 have been installed, 88%, with about 82% of those in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Eskom reports that resistance in some areas, including safety incidents, intimidation and work stoppages, has delayed more than 122 000 planned installations. Illegal connections and meter tampering remain the stated reason load reduction is applied at all, and the utility says the practice damages infrastructure and creates safety risks.

Free Basic Electricity registrations have risen to 546 576, about 13% above the 485 000 baseline, which is roughly 26% of the 2,1 million eligible customers.

Eskom has asked affected communities to work with its teams to speed up the remaining work, and directs reports of illegal connections and infrastructure damage to its crime line or WhatsApp. The next system update is due on Friday, 4 September 2026. The full announcement is published.

Source: Eskom. Read the original item.