Energy Saving Feature
s e c n a i l p p A t n e i Use Energy-Effic
osts C Power ut to C
nal Energy ars granted by the Natio ye e fiv xt ne e th r fo e as r tariff incre s in the country. Eskom’s 8% average powe y have detrimental effects on many businesse ly,ma Regulator (Nersa) recent on your electricity bill every month. The most efficient refrigerators are over and under fridge-freezer combinations. Manual defrost freezers are generally more efficient than automatic defrost models if they are properly maintained.
Tips to Save Energy:
Choose appliances that run on natural gas rather than electricity.
T
he 8% electricity price hike which is part of Eskom’s Third Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD3) will see the average cost of electricity being increased to 65.51 cents a kilowatt hour in 2013/2014 up to 89.13c/kWh in 2018.
kept in the refrigerators and coolers in order to be served chilled.
Refrigerators and freezers consume about a sixth of all electricity in a typical home - using more electricity than any other single household appliance. And, if your refrigerator or washing machine is Eskom’s MYPD3 covers a five-year period more than a decade old, you’re spending from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2018 and a lot more on energy than you need to. the total revenue approved by Nersa Today’s major appliances don’t consume for this period amounts to R906 553 million. As part of its MYPD3 application energy the way older models do because they must meet minimum to Nersa, the power utility included the required energy efficiency standards. proposal to restructure its retail tariffs which are applicable to various customer These standards have been tightened categories in urban, rural, residential and over the years, so any new appliance you buy today has to use less energy than local authorities. the model you’re replacing. For instance, The small businesses within the if you buy one of today’s most energyhospitality industry, and particularly efficient refrigerators, it will use less tavern owners, could feel the pinch of than half the energy of a model that’s the high price of electricity more than more than 12 years older. other sectors. This is mainly because of the nature of their businesses where Buying a modern or energy-efficient beer and all other beverages have to be refrigerator could give you huge savings 10
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• The freezer should be defrosted if ice build-up is thicker than 5mm. • Vacuum the coils in the back of your refrigerator twice a year to maximize efficiency. • Make sure the fridge is not positioned next to the stove, dishwasher or exposed to direct sunlight, which will make the appliance work harder. • If your refrigerator has an energysaver (anti-sweat) switch, it should be on during the summer and off during the winter. • Make sure the seals around the doors are not cracked or torn, which will mean the cold air leaks out. • Freezers work best if they are full – if yours is on the empty side, put a building brick or two inside. These will become very cold and act like a cool box brick meaning the freezer won’t have to work as hard.
Water Usage Geysers account for approximately 40% of the household energy bill. But if you can set the geyser temperature to 60 degrees, you will see a noticeable drop in the electricity bill, but no noticeable difference in temperature. This is how you can Save Energy through Water Usage: • If you can afford it, install a solar water heater. • Insulate both the geyser and pipes to keep the water warm – the savings in electricity make it a good investment. • Allowing hot water to pour out of taps and down the drain is wasteful. • Take a shower instead of a bath to save on hot water and use an aerated (low-flow) showerhead to control the amount of water used.
