Gadgets18.05.2023

Eskom’s load-shedding winter is coming — best appliances to keep warm without power

There are several useful appliances South African households can use to keep warm without consuming electricity this coming winter.

The country is facing the prospect of even worse load-shedding than stage 6 during the winter months of June, July, and August 2023.

Virtual Energy and Power and Clean Energy Projects’ Clyde Mallinson has predicted the rotational power cuts could reach stage 9 or higher.

Meanwhile, a new national standards document that provides for up to stage 16 load-shedding has been prepared for sector regulator Nersa to approve.

Until Nersa approves the new load-shedding code of practice, the Eskom System Operator must instruct each province to reduce its demand by a fixed number of megawatts beyond stage 8 power cuts.

These developments suggest South African households will experience long and frequent power cuts in winter, when electricity demand is at its highest.

That will make it difficult to use large and demanding electric heating appliances.

Aside from using plenty of blankets or warm water bottles, there are two basic options — alternative fuel-powered appliances or low-energy heaters that can run on a backup power system.

The first category includes gas-powered heaters — which come in many shapes and sizes and from several brands — and free-standing wood-burning fireplaces.

The former is the most efficient and cheapest option and will be easier to employ in most households.

Wood-burning fireplaces can add great ambience to your home but require adequate space and professional installation.

With South Africa’s predominantly warm weather, fireplaces often go unused for most of the year, so they can be a bit of a waste.

A portable gas-powered heater can be stored in a closet or garage when it is not being used.

As an alternative to the abovementioned options, you can also consider a low-power electric heater that can run on a small to moderate-sized backup power system.

Several heaters need just half a kilowatt of power to run, which is doable on some entry-level 500W or 700Wh lithium-ion power stations.

However, to cover you for an entire two- or four-hour load-shedding slot, you will need something with a little bit more juice — with 1,000W of output power and 1,000Wh of capacity as the bare minimum.

But if the dire scenarios hypothesized by energy experts materialize, then a 3kW/3kWh system will likely be necessary to support such heaters.

Below are ten appliances that can help you survive the coming winter’s load-shedding with little to no electricity.

As is always the case when it comes to electricity and gas, it is essential to follow any safety instructions to the letter and do sufficient research to lower the risk of fires, injuries, or death.

For gas in particular, this may include ensuring proper ventilation where the equipment is suitable for indoor use and monitoring for leaks.

Items marked with an asterisk (*) will require a backup system with an output that at least matches the indicated wattage.