Easy ways to save electricity

During the winter months, additional electricity demands add substantial strain on the energy producing capacity of our country. Using electricity wisely will help you save money on your electricity costs, as well as alleviate the demand on the national electricity grid. If we all save electricity together, we will significantly help reduce the need for load shedding.

Understanding load shedding

Load shedding is necessary when the demand for electricity is larger than the amount of electricity that can be produced at that point in time. This is done to avoid an overload on the national grid which would cause a national blackout.

During load shedding, Eskom controls the demand by switching off electricity supply to certain areas on a rotational basis which is determined by a predefined schedule.

Read more about load shedding as well as what you can do to be prepared.

Reducing your energy consumption

There are simple affordable ways you can save electricity at home, but it's also important to encourage family and friends to do the same, so that we can have a bigger impact on reducing demand.

Other options like installing solar panels or wind turbines to generate your own electricity are less affordable, but have long-term cost benefits and significantly reduces your dependence on the national grid. Make sure you comply with the regulations of your municipality before installing your own power generation systems.

What is the Western Cape Government doing?

The Western Cape Government takes water and energy security seriously, which is why we've initiated a number of water and energy efficient projects throughout our provincial buildings.