Eskom has breathed a sigh of relief after spending only R17-billion in the 2025 financial year to keep South Africa’s lights burning.
For a utility that had incinerated more than R33-billion the previous financial year, the figure feels like a small miracle powered by meticulous maintenance and disciplined generation recovery.
“Improvements in generation performance, a significant reduction in diesel usage, and the effective execution of the Generation Recovery Plan, have strengthened the stability of the national grid,” Eskom said.
According to Eskom’s end-October report, diesel consumption dropped by around R16-billion year-on-year. The downward trend is continuing — with just R6-billion spent so far in the current financial year, ending March 2026.
“In FY2025, the utility recorded 352 days without load shedding, including a loadshedding-free winter. A marked improvement from just 36 days in FY2024.
Met demand 96%, from 9% last year
This means Eskom met electricity demand 96% of the time in FY2025. Compared to only 9% in FY2024,” said Eskom.
That improvement comes alongside record reliability. Since August 2025, the energy availability factor (EAF) has reached or exceeded 70% on 32 occasions, while breakdowns fell by nearly seven percentage points. Thirteen generating units have even been placed on cold reserve — a rarity that symbolises excess capacity rather than shortage.
Eskom’s diesel-powered Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs), once the emergency heroes of the grid, are now taking a back seat. Their load factor — the measure of how hard they are run — plunged from 16% in April to 0.75% in October. This signalled a grid finally breathing on its own steam.
“In FY2026 to date, Eskom has achieved 213 days without load shedding. It …met electricity demand 98% of the time. And had only 26 hours of interruptions recorded between April and May 2025,” the desk said.
Sound financial management
Eskom also confirmed a profit in FY2025. It credited “operational efficiencies and sound financial management.”
Indeed, R17-billion remains an eye-watering sum. But for the first time in years, the smoke rising from Eskom’s diesel stacks carries a whiff of optimism. Proof that perhaps the billions burnt were not in vain. Although load reduction remains a painful issue for communities facing illegal connections.
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