Four tips to beat the load shedding blues
Our national energy crisis is in full swing and it's going to be with us for a while. Nobody's happy about it, but unless you have the cash for generators, solar or other expensive alternatives, load shedding is here to stay.
In our tech-driven world, it's really disruptive to have two or more hours without electricity. But losing power doesn't necessarily mean losing productivity. In this article, we look at some key strategies for minimising the blow of load shedding, while also making the most of the electrical downtime.
1. Invest in the right equipment
- Surge protectors: When the power comes back on, your electrical circuits can experience power surges - which could damage your appliances. Surge protectors, which plug right into your wall socket, are relatively cheap and will minimise the risk of power surges damaging precious equipment.
- Alternate power: If you can afford it, buy a generator or UPS to give you emergency power when you need it most. With a generator, though, remember that you're paying the initial costs PLUS fuel - so take the plunge only if you're confident that you can manage in the long run with the volatile fuel price.
- Lighting: Buy or make solar-powered emergency lights, use a torch, or - at the very least - use some good, old-fashioned candles. But make sure that you have matches or a lighter
- Cooking / heating food: Load shedding slots change every day, so chances are, you could be powerless at one of your mealtimes. To ensure that you can still cook or heat food and liquids during load shedding, invest in a small, yet powerful, cooking device such as a solar cooker or a 2-plate gas stove. You could also take precautions before your power goes out, such as cooking in a Wonderbag or keeping a flask full of boiled water.
2. Know your schedule and the load shedding status
Unlike load shedding in previous years, the current load shedding is subject to fairly reliable schedules - so you can plan ahead. Whether you're supplied by the City of Cape Town or Eskom, keep your schedule close at hand - whether printed or on your mobile device.
And, because the national and local load shedding status can change in an instant, keep yourself updated by connecting to the right information sources:
- Websites: City of Cape Town | Eskom
- Twitter: @CityofCTAlerts | @Eskom_SA
- Smartphone apps: Over the years, a number of different apps have provided convenient access to load shedding alerts and information. Because these apps come and go, we haven't linked anything in particular at this time. However, please do your own research to find the app that works best for you when load shedding strikes again.
3. Be smart with your electronics
| Before load shedding |
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| During load shedding |
You can still connect to UCT's centrally-managed IT services (email, network drives, Vula, etc.) provided that:
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| After load shedding |
Equipment can be damaged by sudden power surges so protect your gear by waiting until the power has been restored BEFORE you switch the plugs back on.
NOTE: You may only log a call for UCT-owned equipment - not for your personal devices. |
4. Plan ahead for offline work
If your equipment (including laptops or tablets) is battery-operated, you can probably outlast the load shedding slot - as long as you charged your device beforehand.
However, if you're in a lecture that relies on data projectors, or if you're working on an experiment that uses electrically-powered machines, you can't really continue without power. In these cases, a little forward planning can keep you productive even without electricity.
Keep a list of tasks you can complete without electricity, such as:
- reading,
- studying (yes - this means you need to bring your textbooks / notes with you to campus!),
- holding team meetings or brainstorming sessions,
- paperwork, or
- physical filing.
No power - no problem
Load shedding has made South Africa an interesting and unpredictable country to live in. And while we can direct all our fury at Eskom and others we deem responsible for the crisis, anger alone won't solve the problem.
If you're an engineer, inventor or some other type of innovator, we hope that you can apply your talents to creating some outstanding solution that will assist our country in its hour of darkness. But even if you can't make a huge impact, you can at least follow the basic advice outlined above - which will make load shedding easier for you.
Do your part, because, as our friends at Eskom tell us, "the system remains constrained." :)
