By Joshua *Electricity Conservation Tips**
The “Please Use Only What You Need” campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage both households and businesses to use only the electricity they truly need. By doing so, we can help ease the strain on our national electricity grid.
The central message is simple: “Please use only what you need” and “Together, we can make a difference.” This initiative also seeks to minimize load shedding wherever possible. Eskom will provide practical tips for saving electricity and information on efficient technologies and appliances, empowering everyone to manage their energy use effectively.
Eskom understands that this campaign requires collective effort. Support from both residential and business sectors is essential to make a significant impact on the power grid.
Here are some easy ways to reduce your electricity usage:
1. **Turn Off Unnecessary Lights:** A simple way to start is to switch off lights in unused rooms.
2. **Boil Only What You Need:** When making tea or coffee, boil just enough water for the cups you’re serving.
3. **Use Alternatives to Electric Heating:** Consider using a hot water bottle instead of an electric blanket, and wash your hands with cold water to avoid activating the geyser unnecessarily.
4. **Utilize Natural Heat:** Open your curtains during the day to let in sunlight for warmth, then close them in the evening to retain heat.
5. **Dress Warmly Before Heating:** Think twice before using a heater. Dress in layers, and use blankets and hot water bottles to stay warm. Electric space heaters can account for a significant portion of your evening power usage, so heat only the rooms you’re in.
6. **Stay Informed:** Watch for Power Alerts on SABC, eTV, and DStv. These alerts indicate the electricity supply status and what actions you can take to help reduce demand. Please respond promptly by turning off unnecessary lights, your geyser, and your pool pump.
By making small changes, we can all contribute to a more sustainable energy future.
### Understanding Power Failures
Electricity plays a crucial role in our daily lives, but sometimes issues arise, leading to power failures, often due to problems with Eskom or local electrical infrastructure.
**What to Do During a Power Failure:**
1. **Locate Your Mains Box:** Know where it is in your home.
2. **Check for Local Issues:** If the power goes out, first determine if it’s just your house or the neighborhood. If it’s just you, inspect the mains box to see if the main power switch has tripped. If it has, reset it, but leave any faulty circuits off until they can be repaired.
3. **Call an Electrician if Unsure:** If you’re uncertain about what to do, avoid touching anything and contact a professional.
4. **Identify Possible Causes:** Power failures can occur due to lightning, issues with local power lines, vandalism, or accidents at local substations. If the entire area is affected, report it to the authorities.
### Safety in Your Home
Electricity is integral to our lives, but it can also be dangerous. It’s essential for everyone in your household to understand basic electrical safety.
**Regular Safety Inspections:**
Address any appliance needing repairs or replacement immediately to prevent accidents. Regularly inspect your electrical equipment for:
– Breakages or wear
– Signs of overheating
– Missing parts like screws or covers
– Faulty appliance controls
– Loose fittings
– Proper labeling for electrical requirements
Testing your equipment periodically can help catch issues before they become serious.
### Using Plugs and Sockets Safely
Plugs are vital to our daily routines, so it’s important to use them correctly. Here are some guidelines:
– Use only SABS-approved plugs.
– Avoid overloading plugs; use adaptors when necessary.
– Pull plugs by the plug, not the cord.
– Never connect appliances to light sockets.
– Keep wall sockets switched off when not in use.
– Cover outlets with safety caps if there are small children in the home.
### Managing Cords
Cords are common but can pose safety hazards. Follow these tips to ensure safety:
-Avoid joining cords with tape.
– Replace frayed cords immediately.
– Keep cords away from heat sources.
– Don’t run cords under carpets or through hinges.
– Ensure cords are not placed where people might trip over them.
– Use only SABS-approved wires.
### Keeping Water Away from Electricity
Water conducts electricity and can lead to serious accidents. Keep water away from electrical appliances and outlets by following these rules:
– Don’t use appliances in the bathroom.
– Avoid filling a kettle while it’s plugged
– Avoid touching metal objects while using an electric appliance with one hand.
If you encounter an electrical fire, never use water to extinguish it unless the power is turned off.
By understanding and applying these safety tips, you can help protect yourself and your family from electrical hazards.
### Electricity Safety for Children
When babies start to crawl or walk, it’s essential to ensure they stay safe from electrical hazards. Children are naturally curious about cords and plugs, so here are some tips to help keep them safe.
**Inside the Home:**
1. **Secure Loose Cords:** Make sure cords from appliances like irons and kettles are not left hanging. A child could pull on them, causing a hot item to fall.
2. **Monitor Heaters:** If a heater is on, supervise your child closely to prevent them from reaching through the grill and touching hot elements.
3. **Keep Cords Out of Reach:** Don’t let children play with electrical cords, as they might chew on live wires.
4. **Use Safety Covers:** Teach children not to play with electrical sockets and cover unused outlets with safety plugs. Babies often try to stick their fingers into plug holes.
5. **Avoid Dangerous Areas:** Explain to children not to fly kites near power lines, release metallic balloons outside, or climb electric poles.
6. **Stay Away from Installations:** Ensure kids know not to play on or near electrical installations.
**Outside the Home:**
1. **Use Tools Safely:** When using power tools like drills, ensure they are properly connected and never use them in wet areas.
2. **Stay Away from Substations:** Do not enter electrical substations, as the voltage is extremely high and dangerous.
3. **Avoid Power Lines:** Never touch or go near power lines. If they’re down, stay away entirely.
4. **Be Cautious Under Power Lines:** Don’t build or play near power lines, and never throw stones at insulators.
5. **Respect Trees:** Avoid cutting down trees near power lines.
**Safe Plugging Practices:**
– **Avoid Overloading:** Overloading a plug can lead to fires. Use a multi-plug adaptor wisely to prevent overheating.
– **Pull by the Plug:** Always remove a plug by gripping the plug itself, not the cord, and ensure the power is switched off.
– **Check for Damage:** Use SABS-approved plugs and ensure there are no loose wires.
– **Use Appropriate Sockets:** Never plug appliances directly into light sockets; use wall sockets instead.
**More Home Safety Tips:**
– **Extension Cords:** Don’t run extension cords under carpets; keep them in clear areas to prevent tripping.
– **Use Adapters Wisely:** If the plug and outlet don’t match, use an appropriate adapter.
– **Keep Distance from Flammable Items:** Maintain at least three feet between heaters, fans, and any curtains or furniture.
– **Correct Fuse Usage:** Replace blown fuses with the correct size to avoid fire risks.
– **Monitor Outlets:** Outlets and switches should feel cool to the touch. If they don’t, contact a technician.
– **Unplug When Not in Use:** Always unplug small appliances like toasters and hairdryers when they’re not in use.
– **Be Cautious with Electric Blankets:** Avoid using blankets with loose wires and do not tuck in wires tightly.
– **Fire Safety:** In case of clothing catching fire, remember to ‘DROP’ and ‘ROLL.’
**How to Change a Light Bulb:**
1. **Identify the Bulb Type:** Check if it’s a screw-in or bayonet type and ensure you have a replacement.
2. **Turn Off Power:** Switch off the mains and the light switch.
3. **Remove the Old Bulb:** For bayonet bulbs, twist gently to remove. For screw-in bulbs, turn counter-clockwise.
4. **Install the New Bulb:** Carefully insert the new bulb and twist it in place.
5. **Restore Power:** Switch on the mains and then the light.
6. **Dispose Safely:** Throw away the old bulb carefully.
**How to Wire a Plug:**
1. **Prepare the Wires:** Strip about half a centimeter of insulation from the ends of the three wires.
2. **Twist the Strands:** Twist the copper strands tightly and fold them over.
3. **Open the Plug:** Remove the cover by snapping or unscrewing it.
4. **Insert Wires:** Unscrew the pins and insert the wires as follows:
– Green/yellow wire to the top pin.
– Blue wire to the left pin (marked with blue or “N”).
– Brown wire to the right pin (marked with brown or “L”).
5. **Tighten the Screws:** Secure the wires by tightening the screws.
6. **Secure the Cover:** Ensure the electrical cord is held firmly in place and replace the plug cover.
By following these safety tips, you can help ensure a safer environment for your children around electricity.