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If you don’t use it switch off. This was one of the key messages Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba delivered today when he urged the community of Umlazi in Kwa-Zulu Natal to use electricity sparingly.

Minister Gigaba was addressing hundreds of residents who had gathered at the Menzi Sports Groundsin Umlazi N-section to learn more about 49M, South Africa’s energy efficiency campaign.

The minister was accompanied by local community leaders including Eskom Chairman Zola Tsotsi, and senior officials from the Department of Public Enterprises.

In his address, Minister Gigaba urged residents to support the call by 49M to create an energy efficient South Africa. He said behavioural change in the way South Africans were using electricity will contribute towards efforts by Eskom to reduce constraints on the country’s power system.

Minister Gigaba encouraged residents to follow simple electricity saving tips such as switching to energy-saving light bulbs and switching off appliances that are not in use instead of leaving them on standby.

“If you don’t use it, please switch it off. It is simple acts like these that make a huge difference on the power grid. I urge you to implement these energy saving tips and help keep South Africa’s lights on,” said the minister.

The minister further called on residents to be mindful when using electricity between five and nine in the evenings.

“This is time when the country uses the most electricity. This is the time when most of us arrive home from work and we start switching on electricity for various things – from cooking to switching on geysers etc. This put a strain to the power system as all these activities happen simultaneously. But if we start becoming mindful on how we use electricity when we get home from work this will bring relief to the grid and in return residents will see reductions in electricity bills,” said the minister.

Minister Gigaba further urged residents to report illegal connections and cable theft. He said these contributed to network overload and equipment failure, causing the system to trip and result in localised power outages.

Earlier, the minister embarked on a walk about, talking to residents about saving electricity and distributing leaflets containing energy saving tips. In some households minister Gigaba, together with 49M ambassador DJ Oskido, exchanged old light bulbs with the new energy efficient light bulbs, much to the delight of resident owners.



Household’s energy saving tips:
Clever kitchen tips
Only boil what you need
Time your oven and keep it clean
Fill up your freezer
Only use the dishwasher when it's filled up
Check that new appliances are A-rated or energy efficient before you buy them
an unnecessary loss of heat

Heating tips
Put on a jersey or fetch a blanket before you switch on the heater
Use space heaters to heat up a single room
Use gas heaters to warm up quickly and save electricity (keep the windows open)
When using an electric heater, make sure windows and doors are securely sealed to prevent


GEYSER
Your geyser is a great place to start saving energy. If left unchecked, this simple appliance can put huge strain on your energy bill.
By installing a geyser blanket (available at most retailers at an affordable price) you could save up to half the amount of energy your geyser uses to heat water.
There's also the solar powered option that works wonders in South Africa's warm and sunny climate. Eskom also offers rebates on solar geysers, so make sure you check them out.
By following these simple tips you could end up saving more than a quarter of your total energy spend.

Geyser tips
· Install a geyser blanket (available at most retailers at an affordable price) and get a rebate


Shower Tips
· Don't shower for longer than 7 minutes
· Install a low flow showerhead


Light bulb tip
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs


Standby power tip
Always unplug unnecessary appliances at the wall socket