ESKOM and the winter time blues! – pay more for less.
Its winter time again and ESKOM has its back up against the ropes, the frantic rearranging of load-demands begins. Actually it has been carry on behind the scenes for quite awhile now but very few people have noticed. Already people are discovering that when they boil the kettle, make some stew, or even fry an egg, it takes longer to carry out this mundane action.
The ESKOM spin doctors only fool themselves. They are trying to prevent panic. Just like the SAPS brass, try to downplay horrific crimes by saying that statistics are dropping. This said just to polish their badges and give a thumbs up sign. “Look mommy I am doing my job”. Even the woefully silly officials at SANRAL fall prey to this delusion. They imagine somewhere in their big heads that because they have done what should have been done twenty years ago they can act like pirates, black mailers and the Mafia all rolled into one. They should all be arrested!
However, I digress, let’s get back to the ESKOM lie that they actually know what they are doing and you are in good hands because “don’t worry” every thing will be all right. Let’s look at the evidence that housewives experience daily in winter. Low voltage causes the water in the kettle to take longer to boil. Fluorescent lights battle to switch on, normal light bulbs that were bright go dim; just like the brain flickers and dims in some government top brass when asked questions to which they don’t have an answer.
Every electric appliance connected to the grid is rated at a certain voltage. If your kettle’s voltage is rated at say 230vac and its power (current) at 2kw, the water will take a certain time to boil. However, if the voltage drops the power/energy weakens and the kettle struggles to boil the water just like an old man finds out, to his dismay, that it is an uphill task to impress his new agile younger wife in bed. What is the cause of the voltage dropping you may ask; too much load not enough supply, too much load not enough supply, too much load not enough supply. Now what do you do. Nothing girl, just pray that the little you have lasts a little bit longer. No, I’ll let you have some tips at the end of this article.
There is not enough to go around and the cake must be shared. Africa is not for sissies. Just like our roads are congested and overloaded so is our electricity supply. The new, twenty five billion Rand highways in Gauteng have an extra lane added. But one extra lane does not alleviate the traffic congestion and even before we begin to pay we are back to square one; still sitting in traffic. It is a case of too little, too late. Will they ever solve the transport issues, crime, corruption etc? Even the eternal optimist will have to say no I don’t think so, not in my lifetime any way.
Will they ever solve the electricity supply issues? Well Christmas is coming and Santa is giving me a new Mercedes Benz. What about the new power stations? Well what about them? Like the Gauteng toll free way system they are too little and too late. Our economy has already been stunted by lack of electricity and when we get more power stations its supply capacity will all be gobbled up like a zebra being torn apart by a pride of starving lions. The existing power stations have all passed there sell by date and are running flat out on borrowed time.
When the voltage drops in your house you must try and reduce its effect on your wallet and your appliances. You now have less energy to play around with but you will still pay as if you had more. So try not to have too many heavy energy items like, kettle, heaters, stove plates, geyser, dish washer, washing machine etc. on at the same time, especially if they are on the same circuit breaker, i.e. kettle, electric frying pan and toaster. Do not put all of them on at once. Boil the water in the kettle first and then toast your bread or fry your egg. Stagger your energy usage or you will pay. Remember when the energy drops you pay more for less.
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