Affordable Ways to Survive Load Shedding at Home

Minimise the blow of rolling blackouts and make the most of the electrical downtime with this load shedding survival guide. 

While load shedding isn’t a new phenomenon to South Africans, we continually need to adjust our budgets and plans to adapt to life without electricity, even for short periods. The load shedding schedules are easily available, so you can plan ahead.

Don’t let load shedding leave you feeling powerless. Follow these simple tips to help you get through the blackouts without breaking the bank.

Be smart with your electronics

• Plan ahead: Make sure that your electronics, like your cellphone and laptop, have sufficient battery life.
• Protect your appliances: Surge protectors, which plug right into your wall socket, are relatively cheap and will minimise the risk of power surges damaging your appliances.

Invest in the right equipment

• Alternate energy sources: Start with a solar cell charger or a car phone charger. If you can afford it, buy a generator or UPS to give you emergency power when you need it most.
• Lighting: Buy solar-powered emergency lights, rechargeable lights, or use a torch or, at the very least, some good old-fashioned candles.
• Cooking during blackouts: If you’re tired of load shedding interrupting your mealtimes, you can invest in a small yet powerful cooking device like a two-plate gas stove or a camping stove.
• Switch to gas: Apart from the instant heat that it provides, it also has a higher heating value, allowing you to heat your home at a lower cost.

Take a break from the tech

• Enjoy nature: With your home-entertainment systems not working during load shedding, find alternative ways to keep you and the rest of the family busy without spending too much. Go for a hike, bike ride or relaxing picnic.
• Switch to Airplane Mode: If you’re not working, switch your cellphone to Airplane Mode. You’ll save on mobile data.
• Delay updates: If you aren’t able to completely switch off, remember to change the settings on your phone for updates to only take place when connected to Wi-Fi.

For more tips on surviving load shedding, read these blogs:

-        Load Shedding Is Risky Business

-        Let the Fun Begin