Metro tips: How to keep warm with less power
The Ekurhuleni Metro has issued tips to help communities reduce higher electricity bills this winter.
The tips will also help to reduce power outages that occurs as a result of overloading during winter.
Speaking on behalf of the metro, spokesman Zweli Dlamini said a lot of residents find themselves with high electricity bills during winter, but keeping warm “does not have to be costly if you become smart about space heating this winter”.
The municipality shared the following tips to help people to keep warm without having to use too much electricity:
*Delay switching on your space heater.
*Dress warmly – wear a beanie and gloves at home.
*Wrap yourself in a blanket, put a hot water bottle on your lap and drink your favourite hot drink when you watch television.
*Close your curtains before it gets dark – it improves thermal insulation by preventing heat from escaping your home.
*Seal gaps around your windows.
*Draught-proof wall cavities throughout your home and, if you have one, your chimney – caulking and weather-stripping are best for sealing cracks and holes.
*Draught-proof your doors and make sure all door sweeps are in a good condition.
*Most importantly, install fire retardant ceiling insulation before the onset of winter.
According to Eskom, approximately 40 per cent of heat is lost through the roof in winter if a home is not insulated.
Eskom explains that insulation:
*Makes a home up to five per cent warmer in winter.
*Reduces – and postpones – the need to switch on space heaters and climate control systems.
*Contributes to lowering your electricity bill – an insulated and draught-proofed room requires 51 per cent less energy to heat up; and
*Allows you to help to keep the lights on this winter.
Furthermore, the metro encouraged homeowners to switch off their geysers during evening peaks, between 5pm to 9pm, in order to alleviate serious supply constraints.
To assist in managing their demand, homeowners should use heating appliances as a last resort by, for example, reducing body heat-loss by covering themselves with sufficient layers of clothing or blankets, or by using hot water bottles or microwave bean-bags to warm themselves.
”Should the temperature dip to very low levels, and using heaters become unavoidable, homeowners should buy heaters with a built-in thermostat and heat only the rooms in which they are going to spend time,” said Dlamini.
He added that, when going to sleep, electric blankets are preferable to leaving heaters on all night.
“Electric blankets are surprisingly energy efficient and can be made even more energy efficient by turning them to their highest setting for a few minutes, then turning them off for the night, just before getting into bed,” he advised.
“It’s also important to keep the warm air inside one’s home from escaping. When it’s cold, heat is transferred outside. When using an electric heater, close windows and curtains, and cover the opening underneath doors.
“As a metro we are quite confident that, should our ratepayers adopt these practices, they will see a huge drop on their municipal accounts and, at the same time, a massive reduction in power outages, which are mainly caused by over-loading.”
