SURVIVOR'S GUIDE TO LOADSHEDDING

It is darkest before dawn, or so the saying goes, but due to numerous shortcomings, it seems like load-shedding is still here to stay for some time for South Africans. Loadshedding, the term so unique and so South African it had to be added to the dictionary! We are not the biggest fans of this phenomenon but there are some essentials we suggest you get to make the slot and yourself comfortable no matter the stage.

With Eskom having us in the dark, you must light your path. One of your Essentials for Loadshedding is a Rechargeable Light. This essential will ease you out of the dark so that you will be able to see around you and with the lights being rechargeable, it simplifies your life when you do have electricity as it’s easy to recharge.

In the same theme of lighting up your way out of the darkness, another essential for when Loadshedding hits at night is a Smart LED Light. With winter being here, it gets dark earlier and Smart LED lights help illuminate your rooms automatically since it recognizes when there is low light and no electricity. It is also a good idea to place them in areas like children’s rooms or passageways to avoid hazards like falling or tripping in the dark. Additionally, it can avoid children from being scared during a load-shedding slot when the house is completely dark.

As upsetting as being without electricity can be, eating cold food or eating from restaurants or getting takeaways can get costly quite fast. A way to combat this and another load-shedding essential is to get either a single gas burner or a gas stove. Due to the gas source, you are not dependent on Eskom or your supplier to supply you with electricity, you can continue cooking wholesome meals for you and your family no matter the stage you currently experiencing. It also has the dual benefit of cutting your electricity bill as refilling gas is cost-effective as it is dependent on your usage.

With your food sorted on your gas burner or stove, you can slow things down, unwind and go back to basics with a calming cup of tea or even hot chocolate. Another load-shedding essential to have is a Whistling Kettle. A Whistling Kettle allows you to heat up some water for hot beverages or for bath time without electricity and you can use it on an open fire or as well as gas depending on the type you purchased.

As much as South Africa’s stint into load shedding feels like us stepping back into the pre-electricity era a lot of our households need power to operate so the next essential on our list is a Power Bank because no matter how well we plan our life, we all know with unexpected breakdowns, stages can change at a minute’s notice and that’s not helpful when your devices are running low on power. With a power bank, you can charge your devices to tide you over till the electricity comes back on. A power bank is also portable and allows multiple devices to be powered so it can be used when travelling to power cell phones, music devices, e-cigarettes and other small devices and appliances.

Speaking of appliances and devices, often due to power coming on and off, repeatedly, electrical goods are prone to damage due to electrical surges.  An essential to add to your list of must-haves is Surge Protector Plugs. These nifty devices protect your electrical goods by safeguarding your devices like computers, television or even appliances against power surges and voltage spikes that often come when the power comes back on. It provides an additional layer of protection by diverting excess voltage and regulating the power supply to a safe level. This often avoids costly repairs or damages to your property due to these surges.

One last suggestion to make your life a bit bearable, especially during the long stints of load shedding is a UPS.  A UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply allows you to continue to work on your computer or power your Wi-Fi supply or other electrical devices when needed during the outage. The main aim of a UPS is to provide temporary backup power during outages and even if the outage was unexpected, the UPS automatically switches to its internal battery power, allowing connected devices to keep running without interruption.

These are just some ideas to lighten the load shedding burden and to bring some respite and small comforts in these dark times ⟨pardon the pun ;)⟩.

You can find everything you need to make your stage bearable during load shedding and more here.