Unisa alumni share their thoughts and suggestions on how every South African can help to save electricity:
| Denis de Spéville | A few notes about this:
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| Dumisani N | People must start saving energy and electricity now before it is too late. Electricity can be saved by switching off radios, microwaves, TVs and so on, and never leaving appliances on standby when leaving for work. Room lights which are not used must not be left on at night. There is a mechanism which can be used to programme the geyser to switch on and off at a specified time to eliminate the need to switch it off at the circuit breaker and forgetting about it. Geysers can also be fitted with a gauge that will restore its temperature for longer. Solar geysers can also save more as South Africa experiences many sunny days. We must do away with 100w and 60w bulbs and replace them with 16w globes or less fluorescent globes. At offices there are sensors which can be installed so the lights can automatically switch on when there is movement in the room and automatically switch off when there is no movement in the room. |
| Petrus | I’m Petrus, a graduate law student from Unisa. I think it’s high time for the people of Mzansi to try and work together so that we can save electricity. We normally unplug unnecessary stuff. It’s a case of working together as a community. The other thing that we can do is to use electricity as needed. Sometimes we need to use cold water during the summer and also reduce the time we spend on play stations. Another point is that people need to get used to using gas because by doing that we will save more electricity. People also need to get used to using public transport so that we can save more energy and it will help in terms of congestion, polluted air, and so on. |
| Thembisile Mnisi | These are my few tips on how to save electricity and energy, I hope they will be helpful:
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| Rutendo Mambohatumwi | I strongly think that with solar energy, which is eco-friendly, we can go a long way. It’s a source that is ever so present and only requires our effort to invest in our God-given power source! It may require a huge amount of funding, but it will be a very good investment as this is long term! We should now enter into the solar-age intensively and utilise this, our resource…our heritage! We’re talking solar farms that will even power up cities. Solar power is definitely the way to go! |
| Dzhombere Tshifhiwa | In my opinion, I think there is no other way of saving electricity and energy, other than switching off all unnecessary or unused appliances. Our community must be taught to save energy through solar installation and how to use energy wisely. By doing this, we will be a true country that is going foward and progressing. I appeal that this should be our everyday tune for our community as it is vital. |
| Siphiwe Dlamini | Thank you so much for your request. I think God provided me a solution way before the cry about how to save electricity. Always switch off your geyser and stove. Switch it on when you want to use it. After you have finished using it, remember to switch it off. I usually switch on my geyser at 17:00 and switch it off at 20:00. I again switch it on at 06:00 and off at 07:00. So that has been a culture for more than ten years. I switch on the outside lights at 18:00 and switch them off at 06:00. Inside the house we only switch on lights where it is necessary, like when we are cooking, eating or studying, otherwise the inside lights are always off because the television gives us some light most of the time. I do not remember crying about the electricity bill. I always send my kids to pay my bills, but I buy food myself. |
| Sunny Morgan | I joined Unisa to study strategic management. I had hoped that it would make me more effective in my job, but within 6 months of starting the course I got retrenched. The beauty of study and learning is that what you learn cannot be taken from you. What I learnt in the strategy course allowed me to look at and consider new options for employment and business. Because of the newfound knowledge and confidence I choose entrepreneurship over employment. The obvious challenge I faced was what sector of the economy to enter. After applying some of the strategic thinking and environmental analysis I learnt, I was convinced that for me the “green” economy offered the best opportunity. This suited me best because of my activist background, my love of the environment and my passion for people, technology and the poor. I thus launched two businesses, one specialising in eco-friendly products like solar geysers and heat-pumps, and another specialising in renewable energy generation using wind and solar power. These two businesses would tick all the boxes for me: social enterprise, renewable energy, a clean environment, job creation and, thus was born ZERO CARBON and ENERLOGY. |
| Shahid Shu’aib Dickson | Just ordinary tips that can help with saving electricity on a daily basis:
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| George Hove | It’s not really my area of expertise, however, to my concern. I always see lights on during the day along major municipal roads M1 and R21, just to mention a few. Can’t we make a difference there? |
| Shumani Budeli | The electricity situation is in crisis in South Africa due to increases in urbanisation and globalisation. Eskom has done its best by requesting individuals, companies and government institutions to use electricity sparingly.
It is also applicable to unnecessary streets lights on the high way. Those lights must also be switched off at night or a device must be installed to control them. Consideration of electricity usage can also be embodied in the spirit of Ubuntu. Why? Because if ever there is shortage of electricity, the poorer of poor, sick, elderly people are the ones to suffer. |
| Fred du Plessis, (Jnr) | To save electricity, we as a household have implemented the following strategies:
Hope this is helpful; every bit we do helps to save our environment. |
| Ferry M Sibanyoni | The government must build or add power stations so the country can have more electricity. The South African people are growing in big numbers and electricity is also in very big demand. Our electricity supplier, Eskom, has tried to work very hard to avoid future load shedding. Furthermore, people are also being educated about how to save electricity:
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| Mduduzi Malambe | My tips would be the government should speed up the process of solar electricity to all communities and promote the use of generators in big companies. Small generators for household purposes should be sold in all retailers at a very affordable price for all citizens of the country. |
| Megan Sivewright | I don’t know a lot about the group, but they are called the “Green Guerillas” and they work with schools to create energy efficient communities that are self-sufficient by using renewable and recycled materials. They are out-of-the-box thinkers with some fantastic ideas. I think they would add a fun section to your editorial. |
| Neil Murray | We lived in Durban for three years and bought a tumble dryer because of the humidity. When we moved back to Gauteng we carried on the habit of using the tumble dryer. At the beginning of 2008 we installed a clothes line and stopped using the tumble dryer, except for emergencies. Since then our power usage has been on average 10% less per year than in 2007. |
| MJ Chiloane | We can win the battle if all electricity users take responsibility by making monthly payments to Eskom as a way to keep the service sustainable. Eskom should design a table of minimum payments schedules according to consumption levels. It should be binding to any household to ensure that minimum costs are paid monthly, if not yes, disconnection process to apply.
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| Willem de Wet | Electricity can be saved by installing time delay switches on electrical distribution boards, whereby times can be programmed for the electrical lights in a building to be switched on and off at specific times. For example, offices normally close at 17:00 daily and start operating at 07:30. Times can be set at 18:00 for switch-off time per floor level of a building and reset to come on at 06:00 every morning.The same can be done with air-conditioning units. Central air-conditioning units can be adjusted to switchon at 05:00 every morning; this will allow enough time for a building to cool down before the first workers arrived at 06:00. Over weekends these time can be extended as from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. This can be extended to plugs that operate desktop computers. Thanks for the opportunity to give an input. |
| Allison Kensley | Switching the geyser off during the day is a big help. Switch off the lights in the rooms that you are not using. Heaters are a “no no”. Wear extra clothes, cover yourself with a throw/blanket or use a fire place if you have one. Unplug all appliances you are not using. If you are only making one cup of tea, do not fill the kettle to the brim unless you are going to use the extra water for washing dishes or something. Making potjiekos or braaing occasionally also saves electricity. |
| SN Mthembus | Save energy. It starts with me, you and others (South African). |
