Load shedding, or power outages, has become a daily reality. South Africans' favourite app is EskomSePush (ESP) which is used to check the latest load shedding stage and load shedding schedules. So how does a household cope with load shedding in South Africa? 1. Invest in Backup Power Solutions: Investing in a generator or solar backup power system can help provide electricity to your home during load shedding. Generators are the most common form of immediate power backups and can be set up fairly quickly and easily. Solar backup systems can provide the long-term reliability you need, while using renewable energy sources. 2. Use Power Saving Appliances and Devices: A lot of electricity can be saved by using energy efficient appliances and devices. Switching to LED light bulbs, automated power strips and smart outlets can help save energy and money in the long run. 3. Invest in Uninterruptible Power Supplies: Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) are essential for essential household equipment such as computers, routers and telephones. They provide power for a limited period after a power cut so you can stay connected and work efficiently. 4. Insulating Your Home: Heat sensitive equipment such as freezers and fridges should be insulated with material such as bubble wrap to ensure their contents can remain cool during a power cut and reduce the amount of power required to restart them once the electricity returns. 5. Plan Ahead: Stocking up on essential food items, storing enough water, and setting up a makeshift ‘life support’ system with enough cell phone and laptop chargers, can help you cope with load shedding. Making sure you have all of the necessary items prepared and ready beforehand can really help.
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The nightmare of load shedding continues in South Africa and we share in this article the risks that can affect your insurance during load shedding, advice how to prepare for loadshedding and how ensure that that you are accurately covered if you need to claim for a loadshedding or power surge related incident. Risks that can affect your insurance during load shedding 1. Generator and other alternative power sources It’s vital that alternative power supplies like generators are installed and certified by accredited electricians. If these devices are installed or used incorrectly, you might not be covered for any damages that may result. Before rushing off to buy your own alternative power supply first check how it’ll affect your home insurance. 2. Power surges Power surges that blow your appliances usually occur when the power come backs on. During load shedding, you can switch off all your appliances to prevent them from being damaged when that surge happens. The quickest and least expensive solution for protecting appliances is plugging them into a power strip with a built-in surge protector. These power strips are usually equipped with a fuse that is designed to fail in the event of a voltage spike, cutting off power to your appliances and protecting them. There are multiple power strip options available, so we encourage you to speak to a certified electrician about your options before deciding to purchase a specific one. 3. Fire risks when candles are used for lighting Make sure to always be cautious when working with any flammable materials, ensure you keep a handheld fire extinguisher in your home and have it serviced regularly. Also make sure everyone in the house knows where it is kept and how to operate it. 4. Opportunistic robbery, theft and burglary resulting from tripped and false alarm triggers. When there is load shedding there is a good chance that your home security measures may be affected, which may raise concerns around the safety of you and your family. If you secure your home with a motorised gate and a home alarm system, you may wonder if you’re going to be covered for theft and any other type of loss in the event of load shedding. In most cases, most insurance companies recognises that the cause of the loss was ‘beyond your control’ and will consider your claim for theft where your security systems did not function properly because of load shedding. How to prepare for loadshedding 1. Know what your alternative power options are, and the pros and cons of each. Do your homework on what safety requirements there are for installation. Also, research what the costs may be so that you can chose an option that will suite you and your budget.
2. Follow the load shedding schedule and unplug appliances and sensitive equipment: Unplug appliances or electronic devices that may be vulnerable to power surges. This includes cell phones, computers, servers and LCD screens, all of which could be badly damaged when the power comes back on due to a spike in electricity flow. 3. Test your alarm system: During load shedding, alarm power packs and batteries may wear out faster. This may also cause alarm systems to produce false alarm signals or even malfunction altogether. Many insurance policies require that you perform an annual or bi-annual alarm system check, which must be logged by your security company. Failure to do so could impact your claim, Colman warns. 4. Install reserve power: To ensure that electric fencing and gates still work during load shedding, reserve batteries should be installed and maintained. While reserve batteries generally last for six to eight hours when the power goes out, load shedding dramatically decreases a battery’s lifespan. 5. Secure your premises: Not only will this reduce the risk of the theft occurring, but it will also make the claims process a lot easier in the event that a theft or robbery occurs. 6. Light up your premises: Using solar power or battery-operated lighting can reduce the chance of opportunistic crime occurring. Keep them fully charged. 7. Be vigilant: Criminals may see blackouts as an opportune time to strike. Keep a torch in your car should you arrive home in the dark and need to open your perimeter security gate manually. Make sure you are accurately covered
Source: Santam, Businesstech; News 24
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AuthorKevin Yeh Archives
January 2025
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