Written By Neo Ramphela
Loadshedding has brought about a whole lot of issues in around the community more especially so in a lot of households and as loadshedding continues to plague the country more and more people in various households are reporting damages to their appliances. The damage is being caused by the sudden surges of electricity that happen whenever power is restored. These power surges can cause
irreparable damage to appliances like refrigerators, TV’s and various other appliances like washing machines and stoves.
Many people are then forced to deal with costly repairs or worse to even have to replace these appliances entirely and because of where we live and how we live most people don’t have insurance or just can’t afford it and even if they did most of the damage is so severe that it is not covered by
insurance which means that these people would then have to pay the bill themselves which is really asking a lot from people who can barely afford to feed themselves but because of our dependency on electrical appliances people have no other choice but to make means in order to survive.
Experts have warned that the damages caused by these ongoing loadshedding blackouts could have a long-term impact on the economy. As more and more people are forced to replace damaged appliances , there is likely to be a ripple effect throughout the manufacturing and retail industries which could lead to the rise in the cost of appliances because of the high demand and low production.
In response to this growing problem , some utility companies are taking steps to deal with the damages caused by the loadshedding. One such step is in the use of voltage regulators , which can help in stabilizing the electrical grid and help in preventing the sudden surges of electricity which causes damages to appliances but despite these efforts many people are still struggling to cope with damages caused by loadshedding. And as the loadshedding continues , it is clear that more needs to be done in regards to protecting households from the financial consequences of these ongoing
blackouts.
One such example is a home in Diepkloof Zone 1 that has had to replace the electricity box in their household which was fried when the power came back on , the family was then forced to call in someone to install a brand new box which cost them about R5000 for the full service. Times are
already tough as is so imagine having to add so much money just to have functioning electricity, this is money that could have been used to enrich the family but in this case it is money that has been used to deal with damages that are caused by loadshedding.
There are however tips and equipment that residents can use
to protect their homes and appliances. Here are a few suggestions :
Unplug all appliances during loadshedding : when the power goes off , it is advisable to unplug all electrical appliances , especially those that are sensitive to power surges things such as computers and televisions. This will help in protecting them from damage when the power is back on.
Invest in surge protectors : Surge protectors are a great investment for the protection of your household appliances against the power surges that are caused by loadshedding.
These devices are designed to absorb excess voltage and prevent it from damaging your appliances.
Use a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply): A UPS is a battery backup that can provide power to your appliances during a blackout. This is especially useful for sensitive electronics like computers , TV’s and routers.
Install a voltage regulators: As mentioned above , a voltage regulator can help in stabilizing the electrical grid and prevent sudden power surges of electricity that can damage your appliances.
