We hate to admit it, but load shedding is an unfortunate and painful reality in South Africa at the moment.
Nobody wants eat Christmas dinner in the pitch black. We’ve waited all year for December holidays, and nobody wants Eskom to ruin all the fun.
So don’t be stuck at home in the dark, plan ahead with these handy alternatives.
Candles may be old fashioned, but candle light was the only option before the invention of electricity. The cheapest backup plan for when the lights go out, candles can last for hours on end, and do a surprisingly decent job of lighting up a dark room. Candle sticks can be carried around from room to room if needed, and can also double up as interior decor when not in use.
Gas isn’t only for your braai! Gas appliances are becoming more and more popular by the day. As a cheaper alternative to using electrical appliances, gas appliances can be used every day of the year, blackout or not. From stoves to geysers, heaters and even fridges and freezers, gas appliances keep going when the power goes out. With regular use, a standard 7kg gas cylinder can last on a stove for around three months. Buy a gas appliance today, so you don’t have to depend on Eskom to cook your Christmas dinner anymore.
Having a generator seems all the rage these days. These devices run on either diesel or petrol, and can be used to power all the necessary appliances in your room. Generators can be quite expensive and make a lot of noise when in use, which may upset the neighbours. But these devices can run for hours on end, so with one of these, you can feel at ease when the blackout strikes.
Having an emergency light or two in your home is an absolute must! These lights charge in the wall when the power is on and switch on immediately when the power goes off, so you will never be left in the dark. The LED bulbs in these lights are extremely energy efficient, meaning these lights can last for 8 hours or more. They are extremely bright and easily light up a large room, so you can go about business as usual and not have to sit around and wait for the lights to come back.
UPS, or uninterrupted power supply, is the alternative option to a generator, to run multiple devices in your home at once. Similar to an inverter, these devices provide you with an uninterrupted power supply, plugging in directly to your TV or computer, so when the power goes out, these devices stay on (and do not switch off whatsoever, so no work is ever lost). These devices come in a variety of sizes, being able to power one or two computers for an hour so, others can power up to 10 household devices all day.
