Light Bulb Thieves

A

Albereth

Honorary Master
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
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Location
Parkhurst/Bryanston
Eskom are doing this swap out thing - they take your old light bulbs and give you shiny new ones.

Parkhurst - yesterday (28 June 2010) they swapped two of my lights without asking - they just did it. Not that that is really a problem - they could access my drive and they swapped two security lights. But I was home and they didn't ring the door bell.

Cool I thought and left the lights on. I have a motion sensor and light activated light system. The lights go off during the day and I wanted to check that that worked with these news lights.

Just before 4 I had to go out and thought great the lights do switch off in the daylight. I checked closer and some bastard had stolen them.

I found the light guys in the road - not the thief, but the chaps doing the swap. They are clearly marked with bibs (and big boxes). They said they come and replace them today. But it seems that they have to account on a one for one basis for the bulbs.
 
yes, they did my place on Friday,

these guys get paid per globe they replace, which is why they require your old globe
 
I don't understand why they did this though? whats the point?
 
They did ours over a year ago, seems like they are not in a rush to complete this.

They went through our house and I switched every globe I could find even in the out buildings. The problem is that the globes they install is of a lesser quality and does not last as long as the ones you buy from the supermarket.
 
nivek said:
They replace your old globes with energy efficient ones
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exactly - what's the point of that? don't they *sell* power?

this is like Telkom swapping your line for a cheaper, and more efficient line, free of charge?
 
Keeper said:
exactly - what's the point of that? don't they *sell* power?

this is like Telkom swapping your line for a cheaper, and more efficient line, free of charge?
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It's cheaper than building new power plants you would have to agree. Unless you don't mind the increases.
 
R13... said:
It's cheaper than building new power plants you would have to agree. Unless you don't mind the increases.
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ok - that would make sense if they were NOT building any more, and there are no increases - but aren't they still building them though?

I dunno - this just doesn't sound like Eskom to me....... what's "the angle" is what I am asking...
 
Keeper said:
ok - that would make sense if they were NOT building any more, and there are no increases - but aren't they still building them though?

I dunno - this just doesn't sound like Eskom to me....... what's "the angle" is what I am asking...
Click to expand...

Even with the building South Africa will still not have enough capacity. And they are battling with funding for all the other new stations. Even Medupi's funding isn't secure with even the world bank loan. They are trying (and struggling) to sell a stake in the yet to be built Khusile(sp) to fund its construction.
 
Think I'm going to electrify my light fittings outside :p

Bet they're going to end up swapping out some guys super expensive LED lighting :p
 
Keeper said:
exactly - what's the point of that? don't they *sell* power?
Click to expand...
Keeper said:
I dunno - this just doesn't sound like Eskom to me....... what's "the angle" is what I am asking...
Click to expand...
Selling a little less power is a much better outcome for Eskom than selling more & running out of reserve margin.

If we really do run out of reserve margin then the resulting chaos is going to make the last load shedding parade look like a picnic.
 
They've set up a swap centre at the Parkhurst Recreation Center until Saturday. They swap screw in and bayonet like for like.
 
Those bulbs really suck. I replaced all of theirs - they came a few years ago - with WARM CCFL lights and not those depressing pale blue ones ESKOM gave out. Incandescent bulbs have a nice yellow glow, as do the warm CCFL bulbs or the halogen ones.
 
PeterCH said:
Those bulbs really suck. I replaced all of theirs - they came a few years ago - with WARM CCFL lights and not those depressing pale blue ones ESKOM gave out. Incandescent bulbs have a nice yellow glow, as do the warm CCFL bulbs or the halogen ones.
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When they first did the swop in Somerset West, they where doing the quality OSRAM ones. Then by the time I managed to collect 6 bulbs (for some reason you had to hand in 6), they had the crappy elchepo junk. Ended up buying Philips for the entire house. Was not even R300 randts but made a big difference (I study till late at night).
 
cbrunsdonza said:
When they first did the swop in Somerset West, they where doing the quality OSRAM ones. Then by the time I managed to collect 6 bulbs (for some reason you had to hand in 6), they had the crappy elchepo junk. Ended up buying Philips for the entire house. Was not even R300 randts but made a big difference (I study till late at night).
Click to expand...

But you buy WARM ones right? I hate the cold ones (towards the blue end of the spectrum).
 
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