Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Alternative technologies will help you to stay switched on
UNCERTAINTY and the unreliability of Eskom and city power supplies have again shown that South African homeowners need to make more use of alternative technologies.
A further incentive is the rising cost of electricity, says Gerhard Kotzé, managing director of the RealNet estate agency group.
It is still expensive for most owners to immediately convert their entire homes to photo-voltaic (solar) power systems, but there are solar kit options.
Such options automatically come on and power essentials like fridges, freezers and burglar alarms during load shedding.
“A generator is an alternative, but these can be problematic in terms of noise, pollution and petrol or diesel consumption.”
Kotzé says it is worth purchasing rechargeable lanterns to provide light when the power goes off, and power banks for phones and computers.
“If your garage door and security gate open with remote controls, you should check these have battery back-ups.”
Homeowners “should now seriously consider installing a solar geyser”. This will allow them to have a hot shower during power cuts and significantly reduce electricity bills.
“Estimates are that a 2m2 solar geyser cuts household electricity use by 2 000KwH a year, and saves coal and water used to generate electricity.”
The next item to change, Kotzé says, is the electric stove, which is also a major consumer of power.
“A gas stove will heat up instantaneously. You might also consider gas heaters or a gas fireplace.”
The most energy-efficient fireplaces are those that burn pellets or bricks made from sawdust, wood waste, the husks of rice or other cereals, or recycled waste paper. These burn cleanly and powerfully and provide a lot of heat for a relatively small amount of fuel, but they do require electricity to run so won’t work during load-shedding, Kotzé says.
“It is also very important for homes to have proper ceiling insulation. This comes in the form of thermal batts or blankets made from fibreglass, rock wool or paper that prevents heat loss, and are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.”
Those trying to lower their electricity bills should remember that many little savings can add up to quite a big total.
“These include not leaving your electronic devices on standby, not letting your swimming pool pump run for too long, turning off an electric geyser during the day, and putting an extra blanket or duvet on your bed instead of leaving an electric blanket on all night,” Kotzé says.