While load shedding can be an annoying inconvenience, it should also be a wake-up call to us to get serious about the way we use electricity, to avoid any strain on our already limited resources.
Reducing your household’s electricity demand not only saves you money, it also means the load on the national power grid is reduced, which helps to stabilise the power supply.
Here are some useful tips to minimise inconvenience in the event of load shedding:
r Think about communication. Ensure your cellular phone is always fully charged when power is available.
r Think about transport. Ensure your vehicle always has fuel in the tank, because petrol stations cannot pump fuel during power outages.
r Think about cash. Ensure you have enough cash, because ATMs cannot operate without electricity.
r Think about access, security and safety. Release automatic electric garage door mechanisms so you can gain access to your property during a power outage. Release electric security gates and switch to manual operation to avoid being locked either out of or in your home.
r Keep temporary lighting readily available. Make sure you put these items in places where they will be easy to find in the dark. Keep a torch, with fresh batteries, by your bedside at all times. Get a small LP gas lamp, as it gives good quality lighting for a large area.
r Think about keeping things cool and heating them up. Boil water and keep it in thermos flasks for hot drinks for when the power is scheduled to be switched off. Use an insulating cover on teapots and other pots and pans, to keep drinks hot and meals warm.
r Prepare meals beforehand in case of power cuts. Obtain a small, stand-by bottled LP gas heating ring for essential cooking and to boil water for hot beverages. Keep adequate stocks of essential foodstuffs.
Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. A power outage lasting four hours should not cause food spoilage and a freezer should keep frozen food safe for at least a day. It is a good idea to have alternative snacks available that do not need refrigeration.
r Fill plastic containers with water, still leaving some space inside each container for expansion during freezing, in a deep freeze or the freezer compartment of your fridge. This frozen bottled water will help to keep food cold during a power outage.
