Three smart ways to ensure loadshedding doesn't inconvenience your life

Millions of South Africans across the country are dealing with loadshedding.

Eskom announced that the country will deal with loadshedding until Wednesday, 17 March.

READ: "Worse loadshedding lies ahead for SA," warns expert

Having no power can be quite frustrating.

Here are a few things that you can do that will ensure that loadshedding doesn’t mess up your life.

Know the schedule in your area

The power utility releases a schedule for each area on its website. All you need to do is visit loadshedding.eskom.co.za/ and enter your area in the search option.  You will get to see the times that power will be cut in your area. 

Knowing your schedule will help you be better prepared. You will not find that your power is cut while you are busy cooking or baking.

You will also be able to schedule your activities on time.

Disconnect your appliances

When there is a power outage and electricity comes back on, plugged in appliances get a surge of current. When the surge happens, the appliances can get damaged. Fixing or replacing the equipment can be costly.

To ensure your appliances are protected, it is advisable that you switch off your appliances from the main source.

Get a UPS

With so many people working from home, it is important to ensure that loadshedding doesn’t interfere with your work.

There is nothing as annoying as experiencing a power cut while you are busy with work and using the internet.

You can invest in buying a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). During a power failure/ load shedding, the UPS will automatically switch to battery power, and your devices can stay on without any interruptions for a couple of hours.

READ: Six fun things to do during loadshedding

Image courtesy of iStock/ @AntonioGuillem