A preliminary report by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has revealed that the volume of electricity consumption in South Africa decreased by 6.9% year-on-year to 17 493 GWh in February, while the seasonally adjusted electricity consumption decreased by 1.6% month-on-month to 18 958 GWh, following a month-on-month decrease of 0.5% in January.

The report, which sets out the volume of electricity generated and available for distribution in February, showed that the total volume of electricity delivered by State utility Eskom to the country’s provinces fell by 6.8% to 16 216 GWh in February compared with 17 390 GWh in the previous corresponding period.

Stats SA also found that decreases were reported in eight of the nine provinces; with the largest recorded in Gauteng, where electricity delivered in February was 293 GWh less than the 4 216 GWh delivered in the 2012 equivalent month.

This was followed by Mpumalanga, which recorded a 262 GWh year-on-year decrease and Limpopo, where 177 GWh less electricity was delivered compared with the 2012 comparative period.

However, the Northern Cape recorded a year-on-year increase of 38 GWh to 441 GWh.

Further, 407 GWh of electricity was imported in February, down from 1 063 GWh in the 2012 comparative month and 676 GWh in January, while 1 095 GWh was exported, less than the 1 115 GWh in January this year and 1 212 GWh in February 2012.