Posts Tagged ‘electric fencing’

Every now and then millions of South Africans prepare to traverse the length and breadth of the globe to visit friends and family, or for a much deserved holiday away from home.

What this means is that many homes will be left vacant as families swap them for holiday cottages, apartments and hotels elsewhere. If you are going to be leaving your home on standby for the holidays, remember your obligation to conserve electricity and switch off non-essential power guzzlers before you go away.

Eskom offers the following helpful energy conservation tips for the holidays:

Start planning a few weeks ahead of your holiday…

• Start using up the meat and other perishables in your fridge and freezer rather than keeping it fully stocked. The bigger
  the load in your fridge and freezer, the harder it needs to work to keep the contents at the desired temperature and the more electricity it consumes.
• Replace conventional outdoor lights with motion sensor lamps for security. Motion sensor lights use less electricity because they only switch on when the sensor is triggered.
• Install them strategically around your garden and on your perimeter wall to ensure that your property is well lit, even though you aren’t going to be home to switch on lights.
• To make it appear as though you are still at home, enlist the help of a trustworthy neighbour or friend to switch on one or two inside lights at night while you are away instead of leaving lights to burn in an empty house for the duration of your holiday.
• Fix leaky taps. Allowing water, especially hot water, to drip is literally money going down the drain.
• Unplug appliances such as computers and coffee machines. Appliances still draw a small amount of energy when they are plugged in – even if they are not switched on.
• Make sure the backup batteries on your electric fencing and intruder detection systems are in good working order. Replace them if necessary, to ensure that your security systems will still operate if there is a power outage.

The day before you depart…

• Empty your fridge and freezer, switch them off and allow them to defrost. That way they will not use any electricity while you are away.
• Turn off your geyser. This will ensure that it won’t draw electricity to unnecessarily keep your water hot.
• Switch off all power outlets and unplug all appliances.
• Switch off your oven.
• If you have a pool cover, use it. It will help keep your pool clean while you are gone.
• Switch off your air conditioning and fans.
• Switch off the water and power supply to water features and fountains in your garden.

Once at your holiday destination, employ the same energy saving tactics that you would in your own home…

• Switch off appliances that are not being used.
• Don’t leave lights on in unoccupied rooms.
• Only use the air conditioner when it is really necessary.
• Open windows and doors to allow cool, fresh air from outside to flow into the house.
• Take a shower instead of having a bath because you will use less water.
• Enjoy being outside; cook your food on the braai and eat your meals el fresco on the patio, before the sun sets.
• Don’t open the fridge or freezer unnecessarily or leave the door open too long as this allows cold air to escape and warm air in, causing them to use more power to maintain the correct temperature.
• Don’t use hot water for tasks that can be accomplished with cold water such as rinsing vegetables and dishes.
• Don’t leave taps running.

Brought to you by ESKOM