How to save on your Eskom electricity bill

Eskom’s acting CEO Brian Molefe has given South Africans two options: pay more for electricity or face more load shedding – which will damage the economy.

On 8 May, Eskom made an urgent application to Nersa to increase the electricity tariff by 25.3% for the 2015/2016 financial year. This included the 12.69% price increase Nersa had already approved.

Local municipalities have also requested price increases, with Mookgophong municipality in Limpopo applying for a 35% tariff hike.

With electricity prices set to rise, and Eskom continually asking South Africans to save power and take pressure off the grid, saving a few kilowatts does have its benefits.

Here are a few ways you can save power, according to Eskom.

How to save 10%

Turn down the thermostat on your electrical element geyser to 60°C.
Don’t use hot water for tasks you can accomplish with cold water – such as rinsing dishes and vegetables.
Set your fridge to 3°C.
Make sure the seals of your fridge and freezer doors are intact.
Place your fridge somewhere cool – away from sun-facing walls and windows, and as far as possible from the stove.
Defrost your chest freezer twice a year, upright freezers should be defrosted three times a year.
Don’t overfill your fridge or freezer, only use 90% of its capacity.
Always switch off lights in unoccupied rooms.
Unplug all appliances you are not using.
Don’t leave computers, TVs, and DVD players on standby.
Keep curtains and blinds open during the day to optimise natural light and postpone switching on artificial lighting until it gets dark.

How to save 30 – 50%

Install a geyser blanket and pipe insulation on the first 1.5 metres of pipes.
Fit your geyser as close as possible to the points where you use hot water.
Install shade awnings on the outside of windows facing the sun – it reduces radiant heat from entering your home.
Install window blinds or hang curtains – it improves thermal insulation by preventing heat from escaping your home.
Installing ceiling insulation is the most important step for improving the energy efficiency of your home – it reduces heat penetration in summer and stops heat losses in winter.
If your fridge, washing machine, or dishwasher is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new one. Appliances become energy intensive over time, and newer models are designed to be energy efficient.
Replace your conventional oven with an energy-efficient convection oven.

Other tips

Switch off your geyser between 17:00 and 21:00.
In winter, reduce the number of hours your pool pump runs to one 4-to-6-hour filtering cycle every 24 hours.
In summer, reduce the number of hours your pool pump runs from 10 to 6 hours per day.
Avoid using electricity heavy ‘bar’ heaters – instead, use energy-efficient space heaters.
Keep your under-floor heating switched off – hot air rises and heat dissipates quickly if a door or window is open. If you do switch it on, make sure it is switched off when you are asleep in bed.
Drink hot drinks and dress for the weather – “an extra layer of clothing and a cosy blanket over your knees will help stay warm and postpone switching on a space heater”.

Jo-Ann Strauss shows you how to turn your geyser off, in the video below.