Load shedding preparation: Here’s how you can stay one step ahead of Eskom power cuts

The misery of load shedding is back with a bang this week. In fact, Eskom were so excited to bring us the bad news, they didn’t even wait until Monday. A new schedule of rolling blackouts was made on Sunday, with Stage 2 power cuts announced just 24 hours later.

Why has load shedding been implemented?

In fact, you might want to buckle up for this particular ride: Eskom officials are predicting that this latest round of load shedding has the potential to carry on until April. Here’s the statement shared by the utility firm earlier on, explaining why the lights will be going out across the country.

“This is as a result of a shortage of capacity. There is also a need to replenish and preserve emergency water and diesel resources to limit load shedding possibility or magnitude thereof in the following week.”

With the nightmare likely to last months rather than weeks, we’ve put together a few tips on how you can be one step ahead of Eskom in the battle to stay connected. Despite their nonsense, life goes on.

Preparing for load shedding – how to overcome Eskom’s power cuts

Stay informed

First and foremost, every day you must get into the habit of checking when load shedding is set to hit South Africa. We provide daily morning updates with information on how long the blackouts will last, where they are set to hit, and what stage is being implemented by Eskom.

Follow your schedule

These power outages behave differently for each area of the country. We’ve put together this handy guide on how you can check if load shedding will affect you on any given day. Treat this as your Eskom survival bible.

Charge when you’ve got power

Make sure you stay ahead of the game by keeping your necessary appliances charged when you’ve got the chance. If possible, work with your laptops and phones plugged in for as long as possible, up until the power is cut.

Make sure your car isn’t running on empty

Did you know most petrol stations can’t pump fuel without electricity? Don’t take a gamble and cruise round on fumes just to save a few bucks. The next chance you get, keep your tank topped up so you don’t get caught short.

If you need cash, visit an ATM when the power is on

Cash machines also need electricity to work. If you’re in a position where you need bank notes readily available, withdraw them at the nearest possible opportunity. If you’re checking your schedules and following the news, all of the aforementioned actions should be easy to carry out.

How to stay safe during load shedding

When the power goes down, that can soon become a home safety issue. It’s imperative to make sure your back-up batteries on electric gates and security systems are well-charged before load shedding strikes again. You’re also advised to keep temporary lighting sources available in a nearby setting. Think torches, candles and gas lamps here.

Heating and freezing food

You can stay one step ahead of Eskom’s incompetence by putting boiling water in a thermos flask ahead of the blackouts. That way, your food and drink preparations can remain undisturbed. Prepare meals ahead of scheduled power cuts, and place (almost-full) bottles of water in the freezer ahead of schedule, so they can act as the cooling element in an outage.

It’s worth noting the food isn’t likely to spoil in a fridge until more than six hours after the power goes off. Very few places will experience load shedding for this long, and frozen foods can also survive the same amount of time without electrical assistance.

Avoid damage to appliances

When the power comes back on, there are a few elements of danger you need to be aware of. As Eskom explain on their website, power surges can end up damaging electrical appliances. Here’s what they advise you do:

“If the power goes off, it is safer to turn off any electrical appliances that you were using. Keep one light switched on so that you can see when the power returns. Clearly mark switches with a piece of masking tape if necessary.”

“When the power comes back on, it may do so with a momentary surge, which may damage electronically controlled appliances such as computers, television sets, DVDs, etc. Remember to reset the time-control clocks on cooking ovens, pool pumps, geysers and other automatically controlled appliances, unless these are battery operated.”

Buy a generator to help avoid load shedding

If you have the luxury of being able to afford it, a petrol, diesel or gas-powered generator can be purchased for home use. This is one way to circumvent load shedding altogether, as long as you keep the device well-stocked.