Load shedding. Rolling Black Outs. Call it what you will, but South Africa’s electricity crisis isn’t going to resolve in a hurry. While Eskom works on a sustainable solution, you don’t have to be left in the dark. We’ve got a few affordable tips and tricks on how to make load shedding a bit more bearable.
Know Your Schedule
We’ve all been there. One minute you’re halfway through cooking your supper or doing a load of washing and the next your appliances go dead. This is why it’s important to familiarise yourself with your load shedding schedule and plan ahead. An app like EskomSePush is a great way to keep on top of things. Also, bear in mind that the stage of load shedding can shift at short notice. This is why it’s better to assume you’ll be affected by a higher stage and plan around that worst case scenario.
Let There Be Light
Candles are great but potentially dangerous. Instead, consider a high-wattage battery-powered or rechargeable lamp. A headlamp is also an easy to use, portable solution that can prevent you from having to navigate your driveway or home in the dark. You could also consider swapping your most-used regular lightbulbs for rechargeable ones. Their batteries charge when the bulbs are on so they’ll continue to illuminate for several hours when the power cuts off.
Charge Up Your Essentials
Ever been on a deadline only to be caught out by a shift in stages that leaves you with 12% battery life? Yep, it’s the worst. Being aware of your load shedding schedule will help you to plan more carefully and keep your essentials, be it your laptop or phone, charged as much as possible. Just bear in mind that being in a constant state of charging can wear on certain devices’ battery life so don’t leave it plugged in all day. Instead, use a portable power bank you can charge up every day and use to restore power to your must-have devices when you need it.
Keep Your Internet Connection
You have work to do. Your kids want to watch Netflix. Most people will tell you that being cut off from the internet is often the most disruptive thing about a power cut. Happily, a mini UPS (uninterrupted power supply) is a small, portable device you can easily set up yourself to keep your fibre box and Wi-Fi router up and running. If you shop around online, you can easily find one for under R1000 that can help you keep connected for up to several hours.
Tweak The Way You Eat
Stocking up your freezer only to have a month’s worth of food defrost is frustrating and financially draining. If possible, consider shopping for frozen goods on a weekly basis. It’s also a good idea to keep non-perishable foods on hand that can be prepped without using electricity if you’re caught in a pinch. Now’s also a good time to invest in a portable gas stove. This way, you can easily boil water to enjoy that morning cup of coffee or prepare a hot meal on a cold night.
