Watch: load shedding... 8 items that will help you survive black outs at home

Load shedding need not be a complete black out if you are well equipped at home. Picture: Viktor Forgacs/Unsplash

Load shedding need not be a complete black out if you are well equipped at home. Picture: Viktor Forgacs/Unsplash

Published Jul 7, 2022

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Load shedding is a reality in South Africa. And even though it’s a term we have become accustomed to for a few years now, many of us still don’t have the right equipment at home to be able to mitigate black outs. WATCH BELOW:

These fool-proof ways below will help you Eskom-proof your home so you can carry on as normal and not be inconvenienced by long electricity cuts.

1. Power banks

A fully charged power bank or two in the house is essential for the times that ‘lights out’ catches you unawares or for those times that the outage triggers another electrical fault in your area and your power does not come back on for a long period of time.

2. A non-electrical kettle

These appliances are making a strong come-back as a result of load shedding. Usually made of stainless steel, they can be heated up on a gas stove or fire when there is no electricity.

Check out this 3-litre kettle here.

3. Gas for cooking

If you do not yet have a gas cooker for outdoor meal preparation, you could consider investing in one such as this. Many locals are also investing in an indoor portable gas stove, an essential for country with blackouts.

And if you are in need of a gas canister, have a look at this one.

4. Outdoor lighting

Having sufficient light to allow us to relax or socialise outside in the pitch black of night is a good idea and there are numerous options for outdoor lighting. It also helps when it comes to keeping property crime-free during blackouts.

Here is one you could look into purchasing.

5. Indoor lighting

When load shedding kicks in when we need to be inside the house; when kids need to do homework, parents may need to work, or we may need to get children ready for bed, indoor lighting is important. Even if we are all fast asleep in the early hours of the morning, it helps to have a light source for comfort and also for sight if we need to use the bathroom.

If you don’t already have one, here is a rechargeable LED light to check out.

6. Gas water heater

Moving on to the fancier stuff now, a gas source to heat water will not only allow us to bath or wash with warm water, but it will cut down on our electricity usage, and therefore costs.

This is just one example of a product that load shedding may have forced us to invest in, or consider buying, but is a device that can be used in the long-term to benefit our pockets and the environment.

If you have not yet thought of investing in a water heater, here is one you could investigate.

7. Inverter

With many of us now working from home, our work schedules are being interrupted by daily power cuts, and while charging cell phones and laptops may keep us operating for a short while, we cannot work without WiFi.

Investing in an inverter has therefore become a necessity for those of us who work from home. The size and capacity needed will depend on the number – and type, of devices you need to keep up and running.

Here is one option to consider.

8. Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)

A UPS performs a similar function to an inverter, but its switch-over is immediate compared to an inverter which has a time delay. A UPS stores electricity while an inverter converts AC power to DC power. These devices can be more expensive than inverters.

Here is a UPS that you could look into buying.

To buy a home that may be fully equipped to withstand load shedding, start your search here.

* This article is in Partnership with www.loot.co.za

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