Demand Side Management- the art of managing the use of electricity. We all expect to have the convenience of electricity at our fingertips.
We flick on switches without thinking that behind the supply of power to our homes and businesses is a complex chain of supply that stretches back hundreds of kilometers to power stations across the country.
To those in the industry, this supply chain is called Demand Side Management. It is a comprehensive process in which the planning, implementation and monitoring of the consumer’s electricity use- and the modifying of this use- is considered against the levels of electricity available in the power grid which supplies the nation.
The overall objective is to keep electricity supply flowing smoothly, for it to be used at a constant rate and avoiding massive “peaks” and “dips” in supply and demand. This avoids placing stress on the system.
By achieving this objective the flow of electricity is constant and therefore at its most effective. The costs associated with enerating power are also contained.

• The benefits of Demand Side Management
  Demand Side Management is crucial to promoting energy efficiency in South Africa, as it: Reduces the demand on the electricity network
• Delays the need for additional power stations to be built to meet demand for power
• Keeps electricity costs down
• Creates opportunities for the introduction of the creation and funding of incentives for projects and products