Page 46 - Silver Lakes_Issue 9_2022

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FIVE TIPS TO GO (PARTLY) OFF THE GRID

IN SOUTH AFRICA

By Justin Killops

outh Africans are finally united as a the disruptions brought about by our ailing These adorable rays of light come with
nation. However, this united front power utility. Here are five tips to beat load a built-in battery that charges when
Shas nothing to do with politics, shedding without breaking the bank. the power is on. They generally require
religion, opinion or allegiance to any between four and six hours to charge and
particular set of beliefs. What unites us is 1. Rechargeable globes should provide between two and four hours
our universal discontent when we hear the Perhaps these little gems won’t come as of light during power outages, depending
term “load shedding”. a huge surprise. On the other hand, I only on the type of globe you get.
discovered them very recently, and they
We all face the same collective annoyance were an absolute revelation. Rechargeable 2. Wi-Fi mini-UPS back-up
and inconvenience or worse – loss of LED globes are readily available online or Generators and/or inverters with enough
income, business interruptions and cold, from most reputable hardware, DIY and capacity to power your entire home
dark, sometimes hungry nights. We roll lighting stores, and even in some of the during outages don’t come cheap. But if
our eyes, shake our fists, stub our toes in bigger supermarket chains. you consider the essentials for any given
the dark and are never really certain which
stage of load shedding to expect next.

Candlelit dinners are not quite the same
when you aren’t having them by choice.
After all, you can get too much of a good
thing. And sadly, not all of us can afford
the (roughly) R250 000 starter kit it takes
to move a modestly-sized home entirely off
the grid.

It’s not all bad news, though. With a few
small, relatively inexpensive touches
added to your home, you can dial down

44 | INTRAMUROS OCTOBER 2022