Coping with Loadshedding this Holiday Season

South Africans are getting use to the fact that load shedding is the new normal, just how bad things really are at Eskom reads like a horror story to say the least. Fact is, no matter how we vent our frustration it’s not going to change the situation we find ourselves in. With a bit of planning and creativity we can prevent load shedding from spoiling the holidays.

The positive spin in this unfortunate situation we find ourselves in is lower electricity bills. So lets use this Christmas as a great time to introduce energy saving habits into a household, as many easy and simple changes in the way we live can end up putting extra money into your pocket.

Make sure there are enough candles, matches, torches, batteries and so forth for load shedding periods after dark

Make sure all cellphones, tablets, laptops and toys are fully charged before the lights go out. This way you can keep the kids entertained with a movie, or at least be able to use the phone;

More tips to be more energy friendly this holiday season:

1)  Buy gifts that don’t use electricity or batteries. Up to 40% of all batteries are purchased during the holiday season.
2)  Buy environmentally friendly gifts such as solar chargers for laptops, cell phones and solar-powered torches.
3)  Buy gifts made of recycled materials.
4)  Don’t use the tumble dryer unnecessarily – it’s summer, so take advantage of solar powered drying.
5)  Turn off the room lights when the Christmas tree lights are on.
6)  Set a timer to Christmas and outdoor lights to limit the time they are on.
7)  Create a romantic or devout atmosphere by using candles instead of lights.
8)  Enjoy the weather and celebrate the holidays outside with a braai instead of cooking on a stove!  Or enjoy cold meats and salads during this summer season – it’s healthier  and saves on power
9)  If you’re going away, turn off/down the geyser and empty refrigerator.

More advice for creating a more energy efficient home during the year:
•  Invest in a geyser blanket. Unless the geyser is properly insulated, switching it off does not save electricity.
•  Insulate the roof to make the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter and thereby saving on using heating and cooling devices.
•  Switch off appliances at the source when not in use.
•  Replace bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps).
•  Limit the use of down-lighters in your home – all the heat they generate is lost power.
•  Use cold water to do laundry, it saves electricity and is better for the clothes.

For the past 13 years, the African Utility Week conference and exhibition has helped to reduce the energy consumption of commercial and industrial large power users and has assisted in African utilities providing electricity and water to all of Africa.  The event brings together thousands of utility professionals from across the globe to learn, share knowledge and debate the key topics that will secure the future development of Africa’s power industry.  These include energy efficiency, improved service delivery, renewable energy, collaboration across the continent and investment in new power projects.

Stakeholders across the industry attend the event, from Energy ministers, utilities such as Eskom, municipalities and regulators to investors and technology and service providers.  Attending the African Utility Week exhibition is free when registering in advance and it showcases energy saving technologies and services for the industry from more than 250 providers and features hands-on demonstrations and workshops on the exhibition floor.

*LED=light-emitting diodes

What is 49M?
Eskom’s 49M campaign encourages all South Africans to take the 49M pledge to save at least 10% electricity. http://www.49m.co.za