With Eskom’s nearly exhausted diesel budget it means that South Africa can expect extreme load shedding into the festive season and beyond, homeowners will not only need to find alternative energy, but also minimise the damage that load shedding causes to appliances and devices. Jonathan Hurvitz, Chief Executive Officer at Teljoy gives the following five tips on protecting home appliances from frequent and abrupt power cuts:
Plan Ahead
While unexpected power cuts will happen, Eskom has become very good about setting a timetable for load shedding. South Africans, accepting the reality of power shortages have also learned to work around this schedule, cooking meals ahead of time, charging devices and making sure geysers are heated by the time homes are plunged into darkness. An app like EskomSePush will help you to take note of load shedding schedules and plan around these times.
Unplug
Unplugging your appliances when not in use not only shields them from a sudden change in current, but they can save you hundreds, if not thousands, on your electricity bill. Even the red standby light on the TV or the flashing time on the microwave will draw a continuous flow of voltage that adds up over time. This is a worthy habit to cultivate, even outside of load shedding, but especially just before a power cut.
Use Protection
Electric surges, when the power is suddenly reconnected, can cause irreparable damage, especially to devices like gaming consoles, televisions and fridges, as well as the distribution board itself. Installing a surge protector on the board helps to protect appliances from both load shedding and lightning during the coming stormy months.
Get Back-Up
If you can afford it, get an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) connected to critical devices, filtering incoming power to protect equipment from spikes, dips, surges and blackouts. The UPS device also acts as a battery to keep smaller appliances, like your router, switched on for a few hours during load shedding. For larger appliances, they’ll buy you just enough time to switch the appliance off properly while maintaining a stable flow of power.
Go Off-Grid
If nothing else, the current state of global supply chains, stemming from the Ukraine War, has exposed the even more urgent need to diversify our energy sources. More than just being environmentally-friendly, South Africans are increasingly going off the national grid and investing in alternative energy solutions like solar. While this may come at an initial cost, it pays for itself in a few short years, provided it is used properly.
If you can’t quite afford a complete system, Teljoy, the leading subscription-based provider of a range of household appliances and electronics, offers flexible month-to-month options for power systems (inverters) that allow you to store and consume power when needed.
Teljoy also provides repairs and has risk cover on all its products, covering customers in case of any damage. But taking these steps can lead to consistent energy cost savings, uninterrupted power, and longevity of your appliances, when load shedding hits.
