The municipality is urging residents to use power more efficiently as the electricity rate is expected to hike by more than nine percent in April.
The National Energy Regulator (Nersa) has given Eskom the go-ahead to hike electricity prices by 9,4 percent for 2016/17. The hike, which is set to kick off on 1 April, means a household’s electricity bill will also increase, Mogale City Local Municipality’s website reads.
“While there is nothing you can do to reduce electricity costs, there is a lot that you can do about your household’s energy consumption so that the rate increase does not hit you as hard,” it added.
To help reduce the amount you spend on electricity each month, Mogale City has put together ways to reduce electricity consumption at home:
Hot water
• Low-flow shower heads reduce water flow to approximately 10 litres per minute, instead of 15 to 30 litres per minute, indirectly saving energy by reducing the amount of hot water you use.
• Fix all leaking hot water taps.
Geyser
• The most power-hungry device in the home is an electric geyser. Replace your electrical geyser with a solar water heater.
• Reduce the set temperature on your geyser by 10ºC. The temperature at which you keep the water in your geyser affects the amount of electricity you use.
Lighting
• Switch to LED lighting. Not only does it use less power but LED lights very rarely need to be replaced.
Standby option
• Leaving your appliances on standby costs you money. Fifteen percent of your electricity consumption is the result of appliances left on standby mode.
Turn off lights and appliances that are not in use
• When you leave a room that you are not planning on returning to, check that all appliances and lights are switched off. This is one of the easiest ways to save energy.
Read more:
• Save electricity, know your number
• FIVE cooking appliances that will reduce your number
• Smart energy saving tips for smaller spaces
