SA Rocks

Ed’s note: This is a guest blog post from Sustainable.co.za.

We all complain about the Eskom price hikes: while facing mass retrenchments and skyrocketing food prices we are also faced with the exorbitant price of electricity and the future threat of 30-40% price hikes. But what are we, as individuals, really doing about the cost of energy and I’m not just talking about the financial cost. America and Europe are already educating citizens about reducing their carbon footprints and introducing incentives and laws to encourage the use of alternative energy. Perhaps it’s time we stopped complaining and started looking to alternative energy sources for our homes, such as solar panels and LED lights.

Here are some ways that you, as a South African, can do your bit to reduce your carbon footprint at home and save on that rapidly escalating electricity bill by tapping into alternative energy supplies:

What many South Africans forget is how lucky we are to spend so many days in the bright sunlight. The sun is one of our greatest alternative energy resources and one of its greatest advantages is that it’s not going anywhere at least for the next five billion years.
The initial installation cost of solar panels can be in the tens of thousands but the return on your investment starts almost immediately and you become immune to inconvenient power cuts and Eskom price increases. You can run your home fully from solar energy but, because the set-up required can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of Rands, you can start small and add sustainable products to your home as the money comes in. Solar water heaters, for example, cost little more than a regular geyser unit. And if you don’t want to overhaul your entire geyser system, invest in a geyser blanket or geyser timer to limit unnecessary heat loss and energy wastage. Geyer blankets and timers range from R200 to R500.

Zeke Murphy, owner of Sustainable.co.za, a Cape Town-based alternative energy company, says that it is possible for every average household to get involved in energy saving with alternative energy. “Realistically, the average household should be able to start considering alternative power for their lighting systems and running one or two low wattage appliances off a renewable energy system. These systems, if considered in the building of new homes, can be integrated without hugely impacting on the overall building cost”, he said.

If you’re considering making a positive change at home for the good of your country, your planet and your pocket, why not start now even if the finances aren’t readily available? Write down a list of what electrical appliances in your home are pushing up your energy bill the most. Usually the most energy heavy items include air conditioners, tumble dryers, geysers and ovens. Then look around for local alternative energy solutions that can do the job at a fraction of the price, like solar cookers and solar powered air conditioners.

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