Tipping the balance of power to reduce grid pressure
Stage Zero, an independent power provider in South Africa, has launched a range of reliable, sustainable and affordable energy solutions to alleviate grid pressure and load shedding frustration experienced by many South African homes and businesses.
Recently, electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, announced that the government was making progress in its bid to urgently upgrade the nation’s ailing energy infrastructure. While well-intentioned, these efforts will still leave millions in the dark for years to come and long-term energy alternatives are complex and costly.
Energy independence without breaking the bank:
Over the past few years, Eskom has repeatedly implemented double-digit percentage increases in electricity tariffs. The most recent came earlier this year when it announced an increase of more than 18%. This, combined with the worst year of load shedding on record, has created an untenable situation for ordinary South Africans and unfortunately, many of the alternative energy solutions require large initial investments that may not pay themselves off.
Stage Zero, a new entrant in the independent energy industry, helps everyday South Africans save money and reduce their reliance on Eskom by offering its customers access to portable, solar and backup battery solutions at an affordable monthly service fee, that meets their specific needs. Additionally, ongoing maintenance, and a replacement guarantee of their power solutions are also included, removing the risk, additional costs and hassle from the customer or business owner. Stage Zero customers are also able to upgrade their plans as new and improved solutions become available.
Abraham van der Merwe, CEO of Stage Zero says, “We want to make electricity as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. To do this, we enter into short-term contracts with homeowners, renters and businesses who wish to save on their utility bills or reduce their exposure to load shedding and as a result, our customers have greater control over their energy requirements.”
Leave it to the experts:
One of the biggest problems in the alternative power solutions space has been complexity. It is unreasonable to expect the average consumer to understand and provide their consumption profiles or be able to grapple with the intricacies of photovoltaic (PV) technology. Most people cannot take time away from their family lives or jobs to invest in knowing enough to be able to oversee the sizing and specification planning of a given solution, especially when that knowledge does not guarantee savings. What’s more, many solar users find themselves spending a fortune on energy systems that may not meet their future demands. Stage Zero alleviates that burden by providing easy-to-understand solutions that don’t burden customers with long contract terms.
“By helping reframe our energy crisis from one where households own a problem to one where a company solves that problem for households, Stage Zero is showing what happens when local companies conjure up solutions to South African problems. Most importantly, its giving South Africans a glimpse of what our world could look like when we finally hit stage zero,” says van der Merwe.
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About Stage Zero:
Stage Zero is an independent power provider in South Africa, offering reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy solutions to homes and businesses. We want to remove the price barriers so that South Africans can become energy independent – producing their own sun-fuelled power and storing it to skip load shedding. For more information and to get started visit www.stagezero.co.za.
