Left in the dark again? Loadshedding, power outages…call it what you want, but it’s a reality for South African citizens. Loadshedding is, unfortunately, back and yes, no one is happy about it. You may be wondering how to prepare your home or your business for these unwanted periods, and we’re reminding you that there are easy and affordable ways to consider to reduce frustration.

Do Affordable Things First

• Plan ahead by checking the loadshedding schedule regularly. Visit Eskom and keep your area’s schedule close at hand – on your mobile device if possible.
• Consider investing in a solar mobile charger, a car charger or even a power bank. You could easily get a decent charger for R300.
• Consider rechargeable lights that could last up to 10 hours when fully charged.
• Consider switching to a small gas cooker that meets safety standards if you don’t cook with gas already. This way, you won’t have to wait for the power to reinstate to prepare dinner or order expensive takeaways.
• Purchase a surge protector plug for your television, computer and fridge. When the power comes back on, your electrical circuits can experience power surges which could damage your appliances. Surge protectors are relatively cheap and will minimise the risk of damaging precious equipment when plugged into your wall socket.

Consider Alternative Energy

• Research generators and UPSs according to your energy requirements. It might be a little expensive at first, but it definitely pays off in the long run and provides you with emergency power when you need it most.
• Compare generators and UPSs but keep in mind that generators use fuel that needs to be included in the initial cost too.
• With generators, some options will power your entire house, and smaller ones will only keep the fridge running, and perhaps, the TV.

Electronics – Before Loadshedding

• When working on your laptop, save your work regularly so that if the power goes out unexpectedly, you won’t lose your work.
• Always keep your electronics charged for full battery life, or at least enough to survive the scheduled loadshedding interval.
• Be safe by turning all appliances plugged into wall sockets off, and switch the wall socket off just before the loadshedding session starts to keep your equipment safe from damage when the power comes back on.
• Save work documents on your desktop to eliminate productivity dips for when loadshedding starts. This way, you won’t necessarily have to rely on connectivity to complete tasks.

Fun Things To Do When The Lights Go Out

Loadshedding doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, so try the following to make the best of a bad situation:

• Reading or studying with no invalid excuses or distractions.
• Yoga – practice a few moves to relax and feel the stress of loadshedding melting away.
• Wipe the dust from those board games! Nothing passes the time like a good old game of UNO or Monopoly.
• Enjoy a family night out, if possible, at one of your preferred restaurants or perhaps a newly released movie.
• There’s nothing South Africans love more than a braai. So marinate those steaks, grab the Sekelbos and spend some quality time with your loved ones.

Share this blog with your friends and family, and let’s help each other through the darkness. Good luck and stay safe, Sandton!