As South Africa’s energy crisis worsens, serious hikes in electricity rates are already a reality for communities and further significant increases are guaranteed according to Teresa Kok director of One Energy.
“There are growing concerns about the increasing instability of supply, load-shedding and sub-station breakdowns,” says Teresa.
Top tips for reducing energy usage at home:
* the geyser is the biggest electricity guzzler.
Around 40% to 50% of the total electricity bill goes towards heating water.
Installing a heat pump or solar water geyser can dramatically reduce energy consumption which will provide between 50% to 70% saving on the energy required for hot water.
This will not result in a 50% saving on the total electrical bill, unless the geyser is the only electrical device in the house.
Heat pumps work slightly differently and use a small amount of electricity from the surrounding air.
A heat pump actually uses the ambient temperature in the air around it, and can work day and night.
* Reduce water usage – better savings can be achieved by installing water-saving, low flow showerheads and taps – essentially they work by aerating the water which means less water out of your geyser, which means less water to re-heat, which is great for the pocket and water reserves.
* Get serious about lights – typically, lighting constitutes about 10% of the electricity bill.
Light emitting diodes (LED) use much less power (watts) per unit of light generated (lumens) than incandescents and even less than the old 60 watt incandescent bulb which was the most common one used in a household.
“LED lighting is the superior choice,” she says.
* Invest in efficient star-rated appliances – are you still using the old washer from the ’90s? Large and small appliances, including the dishwasher, washing machine, oven, toaster and kettle can be major home energy-guzzling culprits.
If appliances are older than 10 years, chances are they are costing a lot more to operate.
Beware of devices that are plugged into the wall, they keep using energy even when in the off position, because they don’t actually turn off. They go into “standby mode,” which constantly uses energy, even in the “off” position.
* Generate electricity with photovoltaic (PV) systems – these systems use solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity.
* Intelligent insulation – an area where many homes are lacking is in the area of insulation. Most homes do not have enough insulation to save energy.
Check the local requirements and have a professional inspect the insulation.
* Monitor usage – one of the best ways to manage energy usage at home is to figure out where the most power is being used and when.
