As load shedding continues, more and more South Africans are looking to go ‘off the grid’ or to become less reliant on the power utility.
Being less reliant or ‘going off the grid’ means that you will have to invest in an appliance or device to get you through the load shedding troubles.
What to buy to keep your lights and power on during load shedding
Generator
Generators are expensive but they are worth getting if you are able to afford them. Investing in a generator is a great way to make power outages less of a pain. A small generator can cost you about R2 000 and, depending on the size and the wattage value, they can go up to about R10 000 in price.
Gas stove
For the most part, we try to prepare food before the power goes off but sometimes load shedding comes unannounced and we make do with what we have. In terms of gas stoves, there are many options available. You can opt for portable table-top one or two-plate gas cooker or, if you can afford it, a large gas hob.
A big advantage of going from electrical to gas power is that it will help to reduce the electricity bill.
Gas geyser
While gas stoves are all the rage, it might be worth considering a gas geyser. Load shedding periods are currently not long enough to cool the water of your geyser, but this could change if load shedding stages are upgraded. You might want to consider a long-term solution such as a gas geyser, which is cheaper to run than an electric one and offers instant heat.
Power bank
A power bank is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to stay connected and have your devices last longer during load shedding. Hours of load shedding just seem so much longer without your favourite devices.
Surge protector
Another useful thing to have is a surge protector. This will protect equipment against power surges and voltage spikes that can be caused by the much-dreaded load shedding.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) provides emergency power and is a type of continual power system. A UPS differs from a generator in that it provides near-instantaneous protection from power interruptions by supplying energy stored in batteries.
If the load shedding forecast is anything to go by, it is worth investing, if possible, in alternative sources of power to get you through load shedding.
Solar lighting
There is a wide variety of solar-powered lighting on the market now. These range from spotlights/security lights to solar lanterns, garden lighting and even pool lights.
There is no cost to recharge them and many are “set and forget”, meaning that all you have to do is to set it and it will come on automatically after sundown.
Is there more load shedding to come?
Eskom announced the implementation of Stage 6 load shedding earlier this week.
It said this was due to breakdowns of two generating units at Grootvlei power station, as well as one unit each at the Arnot, Duvha, Kendal, Kriel and Tutuka power stations.
In addition, two units at Arnot and a unit each at Camden, Kendal and Kriel power stations have been delayed in returning to service.
Energy experts have warned South Africans to brace for higher stages of load shedding being implemented.
According to energy expert Ted Blom, Stage 8 is very possible.
“Stage 8 is very possible, given (the) Koeberg (situation) will lead to Stage 7 automatically unless a miracle happens. There is no diesel cushion to break the free fall. Only God can save us,” he said.
IOL