Eskom’s energy-saving tips for customers

A statement released by the public electricity entity said that space heating and the geyser constitute 55 percent of an average household’s energy usage per month, with the geyser being responsible for 39 percent of the electricity costs.

View your loadshedding schedule

“If everyone were to switch off energy-intensive appliances such as electric geysers and pool pumps during high electricity usage times between 5pm and 9pm, this could save up to 2 940 megawatts (MW), and avoid the implementation of load shedding,” the statement read.

Eskom said this was enough to free up five units of a six-pack power station and power three cities the size of Durban, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein.

Their spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said over the past three days, Eskom has had to implement load shedding mainly due to a sharp increase in electricity demand in the evenings. Phasiwe said, “On 8 June, electricity demand reached a high of 35 274MW from an average demand of 33 000MW.”

Meanwhile, a statement on the company’s website stated that customers can help minimise the risk of load shedding, and also keep tabs on their electricity bill this winter by following some of these energy-saving tips:

• Use electric heaters that are controlled by thermostats
• Electric blankets are the cheapest way of warming the bed, but don’t keep them on throughout the night. Turn your electric blanket on for an hour or two just before bedtime and switch it off when you get into bed
•  Only heat rooms that you and your family are going to use
• Insulate ceilings and make sure that there are no gaps that let cold air into your house to improve the efficiency of your heater.

The company also advised customers to never leave appliances such as TVs, computers and entertainment systems on standby mode and that by remaining on standby mode, these appliances still use up to 15 percent of the electricity that they would normally use.

Details: www.eskom.co.za/idm