Company Announcement - With load shedding a reality, the conversation has moved from ‘Oh Eskom’ to ‘how do I get power?’ The consumers “knee jerk” reaction to repeated power outages is to immediately go to market wanting a generator as they seem to be the most widely known and perhaps the least understood. The Mr. Power team are constantly asked to provide a solution ‘to run the whole house’ which should be thought through carefully as homes differ in size and needs. Roger Bulgin, from Mr. Power, guides his clients through a basic power-audit to prioritise needs and make an educated decision. Below is a list of the common myths:

MYTH: my whole home needs power
THE TRUTH: not everything needs back up power during an average four hour outage. Arrange the list below in order of importance: (from Mr. Power’s experience, light, food, communication and entertainment are usually at the top of the list):

Item to be powered Wattage required Must have power Would like power Don’t need power

• Air conditioner 1000 - 2000  
• Cell phone 2 – 6  
• Desktop PC and monitor 200  
• Dishwasher 1000  
• DVD player 30 – 50  
• Fridge / Freezer (newer models) 100 - 200  
• Garage door 200  
• Geyser 3000 – 4000  
• Hair dryer 500 – 1500  
• Hot plate 1500 - 2000  
• Iron 600  
• Kettle 2000  
• Laptop 80  
• Modem 40  
• Pool pump 1000  
• Satellite decoder 100  
• Single cfl or filament lamp or globe 20 – 100  
• Single LED lamp or globe 5  
• Sound system 200  
• Stove 2000  
• Toaster 800 – 1500  
• Tumble dryer 300  
• TV 100 - 300  
• Washing machine 1000  

MYTH: food in the fridge will perish during load shedding
THE TRUTH: as long as you limit opening and closing the door, the temperature will not suffer dramatically and the food will be safe for eating

MYTH: during a power failure I will have to shower or bath in cold water
THE TRUTH: provided your geyser was heated prior to load shedding you will have between 150-200 litres of hot water available. An average shower uses 20-40 litres of hot water. With a Mr. Power showerhead you can reduce this by 40%. Plus, with the Mr. Power Geyser Controller the geyser is heated during off-peak times and can save 40%-60% of your monthly hot water costs

MYTH: I can’t cook without electricity
THE TRUTH: explore a gas option – either a gas hob for your stove or a more simple portable plate connected to a gas cylinder. There is always the traditional braai option of course

MYTH: if the power fails unexpectedly, I will return after work to a dark home
THE TRUTH: create a list of which lighting, exactly, is a necessity, then research cost effective alternatives such as solar lights, battery operated globes and of course the good old fashioned candle. Plug-in emergency lights, strategically placed, are ideal for unanticipated power outages

MYTH: I can’t read or watch TV without power and can’t entertain my family
THE TRUTH: based on Mr. Power’s calculations above, it is easy to keep your entertainment centre going with a Mr. Power back up inverter (whether it be TV or internet based) as it draws around 500 watts

MYTH: I must have a generator
THE TRUTH: your power needs could probably be solved using an inverter solution where you simply plug the emergency power supply into the wall socket and the items you need to run are plugged into the back of the unit

MYTH: installing and having  a generator is easy and simple
THE TRUTH: a generator is expensive to purchase, requires regular maintenance and can be costly to run as they need diesel or petrol to run. This means buying and re-fuelling manually and fairly regularly. A 30kW generator uses up to 8 litres of fuel per hour which is around R100 per hour. They are noisy and are required to be placed in a well-ventilated and easily accessible location

Remember to switch off (or unplug) all appliances immediately when the power goes off, (either at the plug or electricity board). This will protect them from the surge of power when the electricity comes back on again. Pre-preparation is key which includes family or business ‘load-shedding drills’.

For more advice and information on how to lighten your load, please visit www.mrpower.co.za or call the Mr. Power team directly on 011 804 2988.