17 April 2012
Eskom has called on South Africans to use electricity wisely – and economically – in the upcoming winter months.
The power parastatal has urged citizens to switch off energy-intensive appliances like geysers and pool pumps during high electricity usage times in the evenings.
This could result in energy savings of up to 2 940 MW.
“This is enough to free up five units of a six-pack power station and power three cities the size of Durban, Port Elizabeth or Bloemfontein,” Eskom said in a statement this week.
To help South Africans save money on their winter electricity bills, Eskom has advised consumers to use electric heaters that are controlled by thermostats, to switch on electric blankets an hour before going to bed, and only to heat rooms that they are going to use.
It called on people not to leave appliances like TVs, computers and radios on standby mode, as this still used up to 50% of the electricity the appliance would normally use.
“If every household makes some minor changes, we can lower our collective electricity use by 10%,” Eskom said.
“This means that we will reduce our monthly energy costs, reduce the demand on the national grid, while at the same time doing our bit to save the planet.”
Source: BuaNews
