Be prepared for Eskom’s insolvency

NEWS reports claimed at the weekend that Eskom had only enough money to sustain it for 21 days and the utility’s management admitted that money, or lack of it, was partly responsible for the country’s load shedding debacle.

It seems the truth of the matter is that Eskom is stone broke having spent billions on expensive diesel to fire up the gas turbines which keep the lights burning.

Media reports state that the power utility is producing diesel-generated power at R3 a kilowatt hour compared to the price of 62c a kilowatt hour of coal-fired electricity.

Electricity is sold at 70c a kilowatt hour and you don’t need to be Einstein to see that this business, yes, it is a business, is on a hiding to nothing.

Correction: we, the end users, are on a hiding to nothing because some solutions will need to be put in place urgently. The first will be load shedding on a huge scale and then they will up the price.

Some cynics say Eskom will keep this up, with government bailouts of billions of Rands, until after next year’s elections. If government can look good up to that point, they hope to emerge victorious once again.

But there is nothing much that Joe Soap can do about it except to be prepared. There are many things we can do to make living in the dark bearable.

Courtesy of Eskom’s website, here are some useful tips:

• Ensure your cell phone and laptop or tablet are always fully charged.
• Keep your vehicle filled with fuel because bowsers cannot pump without electricity. Make sure you have enough cash in your wallet for your needs because the same applies to ATMs.
• Garage doors and security gates, unless these have battery backup, need to be switched to manual operation, but be aware of security and safety.
• Temporary lighting is essential; place torches with fresh batteries where they are easily accessible, such as one in the kitchen and another next to your bed. If using candles, never leave them unattended. Invest in a small gas lamp or two as they give good quality lighting.
• Boil water and keep it in a thermos flask and use an insulating cover on pots to keep food warm. Prepare meals beforehand in readiness for power cuts.
• Obtain a small LP gas heating ring to prepare meals and boil water. Keep adequate stocks of essential food.
• Keep fridge and freezer doors closed to minimise defrosting. A four-hour power cut should not cause food spoilage, said Eskom. Medication should keep in a closed fridge but it is preferable to check this with your pharmacist.
• Fill plastic containers with water and freeze them. The ice will assist in keeping food in the freezer from spoiling.

Eskom advised customers to check load shedding schedules as any outage that does not coincide with these must be treated as a fault and reported.

How did we come to this? Stupid question really. Hopefully along the way, we will be told by our esteemed leaders exactly what is going on and what we can expect, instead of playing political games and scoring points.

This double speak and clouding issues in euphemisms doesn’t dispel the sense of deep foreboding that most of us feel.

On the bright side, TV blackouts could lead to better family unity. Stock up on board games and chill outdoors on clear nights.