Why bother cutting on power usage?

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Albereth

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What is the point?

The idiots and liars in the power industry have already decided that you are going to be cut irrespective of what you do, so why bother? Why bother incurring any additional expense of changing your light bulbs? Why bother switching your geyser off?
 
Albereth said:
What is the point?

The idiots and liars in the power industry have already decided that you are going to be cut irrespective of what you do, so why bother? Why bother incurring any additional expense of changing your light bulbs? Why bother switching your geyser off?
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Easy answer. Saving electricity has major environmental benefits in our country where basically all our power is from coal fired power plants.
 
I think Dawkins covers this topic in his documentary, The evolution or morality... I think this specific point is covered when he talks about the dilemma of the commons.
 
BlueCollar said:
Easy answer. Saving electricity has major environmental benefits in our country where basically all our power is from coal fired power plants.
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Then why are they building yet more coal powered stations? I think the 1.9% (10% from 19% residential consumers) savings, is not going to make a huge dent in pollution levels.
 
Nod said:
Then why are they building yet more coal powered stations? I think the 1.9% (10% from 19% residential consumers) savings, is not going to make a huge dent in pollution levels.
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1.9% of many of million tons of emissions from coal stations is not an insubstantial amount.
 
Sorry - I didn't mean this to become a philosophical debate regarding social responsibility vis a vis climate change or the environment. Rather, something more blunt and practical.

My electricity consumption has dropped 50% since this time last year. So I have done my 10% and then some. But I still get the punitive power cut.

And even if my neighbours cut and do their bit, we all get cut.

So why should I bother - there is no upside. (Other than being a hippie)
 
Albereth said:
The idiots and liars in the power industry have already decided that you are going to be cut irrespective of what you do,
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The point is to give the techies time to do repairs/maintenance/salvage work. Whether they actually use that time is anyone's guess.
 
BlueCollar said:
Easy answer. Saving electricity has major environmental benefits in our country where basically all our power is from coal fired power plants.
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According to Mr Al Gore, the CO2 footprint of a person in Africa, compared to the global total, is 1.9%.

According to him, Africa produces more carbon emissions from fires (veld, forests, etc) than from factories/transportation/etc, making Africa's total to about 2.4%. In Australia, where they have Billabongs, Barbecues & V8's, their total carbon emission contribution is less than 2%.

So, IMO, cutting electricity use only helps Eskom donate more to our neighbors.
 
BlueCollar said:
1.9% of many of million tons of emissions from coal stations is not an insubstantial amount.
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Regardless, if we save electricity or not, the power stations will still run on FULL power ............ :o

So IMO it's pointless saving electric - like emtying the bathtub with a teaspoon
 
Dompiet said:
Regardless, if we save electricity or not, the power stations will still run on FULL power ............ :o

So IMO it's pointless saving electric - like emtying the bathtub with a teaspoon
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A staggering amount of people have already converted to these energy saving bulbs in their homes. That alone should count for at least 10% in each household.
Have the power cuts stopped? No

What ticks me off even more is that there were stages for the power cuts: Stage 1 (one cut, 2 hours each), Stage 2 (2 cuts, 2hours each), Stage 3 (3 cuts, 2 hours each).
Now Eskom changed Stage 1 to be 1 cut but it's 4 hours long?? WTF, will Stage 2 be 2 cuts @ 4 hours each??

So in the end "saving electricity" didn't/doesn't help jacks*** since they loadshedding periods just become worse and longer.
 
lcbxx said:
What ticks me off even more is that there were stages for the power cuts: Stage 1 (one cut, 2 hours each), Stage 2 (2 cuts, 2hours each), Stage 3 (3 cuts, 2 hours each).
Now Eskom changed Stage 1 to be 1 cut but it's 4 hours long?? WTF, will Stage 2 be 2 cuts @ 4 hours each??
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I don't think even eskom knows WTF - In JHB we have a power update report on Highveld Stereo. According to the report (Simon Gear), Eskom has cancelled the cuts indefinately, untill they have some sort of emercency meeting with some mysterios meeting attenders.

All of this after preparing & advertising for a week that power cuts would start today ...........

So yea - incompetence comes to mind

:rolleyes:
 
Dompiet said:
I don't think even eskom knows WTF - In JHB we have a power update report on Highveld Stereo. According to the report (Simon Gear), Eskom has cancelled the cuts indefinately, untill they have some sort of emercency meeting with some mysterios meeting attenders.
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The topic of which will be "what must we do to force through our ludicrous price increase demands and how can we get our new penalty system for the rich implemented as soon as possible".
 
Albereth said:
What is the point?

The idiots and liars in the power industry have already decided that you are going to be cut irrespective of what you do, so why bother? Why bother incurring any additional expense of changing your light bulbs? Why bother switching your geyser off?
Click to expand...

Cause your children & their children still needs to survive in a world which is currently being killed by the damage we cause with electricity, burning gas, burning fuel, etc. If you don't care about your offspring, or other people then don't bother changing your lifestyle.
 
HavocXphere said:
The point is to give the techies time to do repairs/maintenance/salvage work. Whether they actually use that time is anyone's guess.
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That is supposed to be the scheduled summer maintenance. Which is why we're experiencing power shortage. Though how they managed to turn off 25% of all power for maintenance is beyond my guess.

However, now these power cuts are going to go into winter. Besides the fact that people may actually die as a result, what the fsck did they do during the summer maintenance? They fixed sweet blow all, it is all lies.

These power cuts are done to allow the power stations to replenish their coal reserves. The same reserves that were screwed up by Eskom's underhanded and corrupt BEE process of electing partners.
 
SoftDux said:
Cause your children & their children still needs to survive in a world which is currently being killed by the damage we cause with electricity, burning gas, burning fuel, etc. If you don't care about your offspring, or other people then don't bother changing your lifestyle.
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Al! Is that you?
 
HavocXphere said:
The point is to give the techies time to do repairs/maintenance/salvage work. Whether they actually use that time is anyone's guess.
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Eskom has techies ? :confused:

No seriously !! :D

Or is this the first April Fool's joke ?
 
SoftDux said:
Cause your children & their children still needs to survive in a world which is currently being killed by the damage we cause with electricity, burning gas, burning fuel, etc. If you don't care about your offspring, or other people then don't bother changing your lifestyle.
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Sorry - read a little further
 
Personally, I started making a serious effort to save as much power as possible (without sacrificing quality of life) since the beginning of the year. Two reasons for that, 1 - all savings add up and might help to avoid loadshedding so I'll do my bit and 2 - My utilities bill will be less, saving some money!

But since then, with all the crap Eskom and Government came up with, point no. 1 has fallen away.

It doesn't matter how much you or I try to save, we'll be penalised to make sure that the bonusses can still be paid. And, no matter how much we save, they'll still cut us off for some crap excuse, and to try and force us into such a mentality that we'll end up paying whatever just to have some power.

This whole "power shortage" story is staring to stink, and stink badly... :mad: :sick:
 
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