Never mind load shedding, when we do have an uninterrupted power supply it’s going to a lot more expensive from April, with consumers already under financial pressure set to feel the burn.
Cumulative load shedding in 2020 is estimated to have been 23% worse than in 2019, despite a 9% decrease in real GDP, “costing the country’s economy R500 million per stage per day, and the Western Cape’s economy R75 million per stage per day”. Restructuring Eskom continues to be a major concern, as outlined in President Ramaphosa’s 2021 State Of the Nationa Address.
However, a High Court ruling in February has given Eskom permission to recover R10 billion from consumers, enabling the state power utility to raise electricity tariffs by 15.63% in the 2021/22 financial year. An estimated 5.44c/kWh will be added to make the new average tariff about 134.3c/kWh
Eskom and Nersa have been in an ongoing court battle over Nersa’s decision to deduct a R69 billion equity lifeline from Eskom’s allowable revenue, which has since been ruled illegal. As a result, the first of three hikes expected in electricity pricing is now kicking in. Municipalities will either absorb the bulk electricity price hike, passing it on to the consumer – or opt to make use of recent changes to the Electricity Regulation Act to become self-sufficient in the production of renewable energy generation. As to what that pricing structure will be, remains to be seen.
According to Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, adopting an energy-conscious mindset will help towards lowering overall consumption.
“For example, with many of us working from home, we are likely to be consuming more energy. If it’s the middle of the day and the room is dark, first open the curtains or blinds before turning on the lights. If you are working on a laptop, do not leave it plugged in all day – only charge it when the battery is dead. These small changes in habit could make a big difference when regularly applied to how we consume electricity in general,” says Goslett.
Choosing energy-efficient appliances is crucial. The lower your appliances power rating the better. Did you know a 100W traditional light bulb uses 17 units of electricity? At a cost of R1.50 that’s R25.50. Compared to a 4W LED energy-saving bulb at 0.6 units for a week only costs R1 – a saving of R24.”
A new study from Compare The Market the most expensive household appliance to run is the tumble dryer, which uses up 2.4kWh, while the cheapest household task is charging a mobile phone, which uses up around 5W per hour. How and when you use electricity all adds up, with small changes certainly able to make a difference to your overall monthly usage bill.
With that said, here are 50 added ways to reduce your energy consumption:
1. Set your electrical geyser’s thermostat at 55 ° C to 60 ° C. To save energy, make sure the geyser and all hot water steel pipes in the roof are well insulated with fibreglass or newspaper.
2. Solar heating units could reduce the geyser’s electricity consumption by 40% to 50%. This would result in a savings of about 200kWh to 250kWh of electricity per month, depending on the number of geysers and the size of the family.
Lights
3. Switch off the lights when they are not needed.
4. Use fewer bulbs with higher wattages. For instance, one 100 watt bulb produces the same light as two 60 watt bulbs.
5. Dimming switches reduce electricity consumption.
Use the correct heaters. Infrared electricity heaters are the most energy-efficient heaters available while oil heaters are the safest.
6. Use compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) instead of ordinary bulbs.
7. Use low-energy lamps for exterior lighting.
Heating
8. Use the correct heaters. Infrared electricity heaters are the most energy-efficient heaters available while oil heaters are the safest.
9. Insulate the ceiling and seal air gaps in the home.
10. Ensure that heaters have thermostats.
11. Use electric blankets but turn them off when in bed.
Dishwasher
12. Fill the dishwasher before operating it.
13. Turn off the dishwasher before the drying cycle so that you can wipe the dishes clean with a dry cloth.
14. Connect the dishwasher to the cold water supply.
15. Clean filters.
16 When buying a dishwasher, look for energy-saving features like a short wash cycle. Install your dishwasher away from your refrigerator. The dishwasher’s heat and moisture make the refrigerator work harder.
17. Install your dishwasher away from your refrigerator. The dishwasher’s heat and moisture make the refrigerator work harder.
Tumble Dryers
18. Tumble dryers that operate with electronic humidity control are the most efficient as they automatically shut off the drying cycle when clothes are dry.
19. Use correct temperature settings to minimise the amount of electricity used.
20. Remove water before putting clothes into the tumble dryer.
21. On sunny days, take the opportunity to dry your clothes outside.
Automatic washing machines
22. A front-loading washing machine uses less water and costs less to operate.
232. Use the warm water setting to cut down on the electricity needed to heat the water.
24. Make sure you have a full load before washing.
25. Select the shortest possible washing programme.
26. Cold water detergents reduce electricity consumption.
Stoves
27. Use pressure cookers when preparing food that takes a long time to cook.
28. Match pots and pans to stove plates. Small pots on large plates waste electricity.
29. Do not use pots with distorted bottoms.
30. Switch off the plates or oven before food is fully cooked. This allows you to finish your cooking without using energy.
31. Keep oven doors closed until food is cooked.
32. Do not preheat the oven. It isn’t necessary to preheat the oven except for food requiring high temperatures and slow cooking times.
33. Make use of the oven’s leftover heat. Your oven retains heat for 15 to 30 minutes after it is turned off. Use that free heat to warm up desserts, rolls or freshen crackers and cookies.
34. Glass and ceramic pans retain heat better than metal pans.
35. Use the self-cleaning feature only when it’s necessary. Start the self-cleaning cycle right after cooking while the oven is still hot. Less energy will be required to reach cleaning temperature.
Microwave Ovens
36. When you defrost food, leave it in the fridge overnight. You’ll use less electricity than defrosting food in the microwave.
37. Use the microwave to cook small to medium quantities of food. For larger portions of meat, it’s better to use a conventional oven or pressure cooker.
Refrigerator
38. Don’t open the door unnecessarily and make sure the seal is intact.
39. Turn off an empty refrigerator when going on holiday.
40. Let hot foods cool down before placing them in the refrigerator.
41. Defrost fridges regularly. A build-up of ice reduces operating efficiency and increases running costs.
Freezers
42. Defrost the freezer regularly. Freezers work harder to remove heat and have to use more power. Only 90% of a freezer’s capacity should be used for freezing.
General
43. Do not buy larger or more powerful appliances than are actually required.
44. Do not buy an electric appliance when a hand-operated one will suffice.
45. Use the correct appliance for the job e.g. do not make toast on the stove or in the oven.
46. Do not fill a kettle if only a small quantity of boiling water is required. It is sufficient to put in only enough water to cover the element.
47. It is more economical to boil water in a kettle rather than in a pot on the stove.
48. Always use an iron that is thermostatically controlled. You can avoid ironing clothes by removing clothing promptly from the tumble dryer and folding them carefully.
49. Operate swimming pool filter pumps for minimum periods.
50. Paint the walls of your home in a light colour. Dark colours tend to absorb light, requiring you to use more energy from light bulbs to achieve the same effect.
Article courtesy of Lexis Digest and property24