6 ways to survive load shedding
Try as I might to find a site that will give me a heads up on load-shedding; from Eskom's Twitter, Facebook and website to my local municipality, it seems nobody knows when and for how long one will be powerless.
If you have experienced load shedding then you know how instantaneously infuriating it is and the longer you go without power the more the fury evolves into desperation and eventually total and complete emotional meltdown.
Most of us do not have the financial means to kit out our houses with a generator or to fit solar panels and battery packs into our houses.
So, I have devised a cost effective survival strategy that most of us will be able to afford:
1. Be prepared. Actually, live life with the expectation that the power will go out and for hours on end without any warning.
2. Have a cooler box on standby with ice packs in the freezer at the ready. If the power goes, your fridge will not be able to keep itself cold but if you keep the door closed you might be able to save the contents (especially what's in the freezer) from spoiling. As soon as the power goes, pop your stuff that you regularly get out of the fridge (milk, eggs, marge, cool drinks) into the cooler box with the ice packs so that you can leave your fridge sealed.
3. Get yourself a external battery phone charger. (There are even portable solar powered ones on the market). Mine has a standard USB jack and charges my phone, tablet and even my Twisp e-cig battery.
4. UPS Computer battery can give you up to 10 hours battery for your laptop or PC so you can still get work and homework done. In a pinch you can watch your movies/series on this device.
5. Solar powered lamps (sun in a jar). Again just for some light to study, work, cook or play board games.
6. For smaller living units you can buy a disposable braai complete with fire-lighters, coal and grills. Make it a family thing; enjoy your blackouts.
Click here to see the latest on load shedding in your area.