Things to do during loadshedding

What I like to do during loadshedding, is to go and lie down and think about what I'm going to do when the power gets back on :p
 
reading a book and looking at old tobacco “bed” pipes, going to have to convert a mod sometime.
 
Have you considered thinking about your life choices specifically focusing on why you have not em"powered" yourself yet?

With the increase in prices solar is almost as affordable as a kw/h from eskom and if you consider it over 5 years or more it becomes an attractive investment.

Currently I haven't gone solar but have other means of power as I cannot afford to not work for even 2 hours.

I feel I'll be going solar in the next 2 years.
 
Have you considered thinking about your life choices specifically focusing on why you have not em"powered" yourself yet?

With the increase in prices solar is almost as affordable as a kw/h from eskom and if you consider it over 5 years or more it becomes an attractive investment.

Currently I haven't gone solar but have other means of power as I cannot afford to not work for even 2 hours.

I feel I'll be going solar in the next 2 years.
i think we should be focusing on fixing the problem that created a problem we should never have had to begin with.
 
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Awesome @Jean claude Vaaldamme
Love it!
Thats an epic coil!

During loadshedding - if in the day - i usually do chores that dont require power that ive been putting off - like tidying the desk or my cupboards. I find the (very) occasional power failure to be quite therapeutic in a way. Its just when it gets too frequent that it drives me nuts

In the evenings i just read or check up on the forum.

We are being loadshed now - am hotspotting off the phone to my ipad.
 
Sit on our phones mostly, got wifi so dont really need anything else.
Macbook last quiet some time so we catch up on series to.

The only thing is when the power goes off i get hungree its the weirdest thing.




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i think we should be focusing on fixing the problem that created a problem she should never have had to begin with.
Unfortunately the mentality of "it's governments problem" isnt going to cut it. The reality is rolling blackouts for the foreseeable future and the debt to income ratio isn't going to correct itself.

The only way IMHO for eskom to sell more electricity is if they drop the prices but they have been encouraging users to use less electricity for a long time. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot.

Asset the end of the day it's you and me that will ultimately bear the burden of rescuing the national energy provider and I would rather invest in my home and my self sustainability.
 
Awesome @Jean claude Vaaldamme
Love it!
Thats an epic coil!

During loadshedding - if in the day - i usually do chores that dont require power that ive been putting off - like tidying the desk or my cupboards. I find the (very) occasional power failure to be quite therapeutic in a way. Its just when it gets too frequent that it drives me nuts

In the evenings i just read or check up on the forum.

We are being loadshed now - am hotspotting off the phone to my ipad.
Did not place the last photo, scared of the safety police:rofl:
 
i think we should be focusing on fixing the problem that created a problem she should never have had to begin with.

Come with me my friend...let us go watch the grass grow, we will have a better chance of success at that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
i spend the time reading or playing with the kids.
luckily in CPT we have the benefit that even if eskom goes to stage 1 we can skip due to extra capacity form the hydro plant

some interesting reading. Removing yourself from the grid is only part of the answer. even by reducing the pressure on the grid you would only extend the inevitable. for a person off the grid sure but not everybody can. Eskom needs to get its act together and with its financial book in shards its getting harder and harder.
-------------------------------
A QUESTION often asked of me recently by radio and TV presenters and print and electronic media journalists, is what exactly needs to be done by the new Eskom board and chairperson in the weeks, months and year ahead to steady the ship and steer the utility in the right direction.

Over the last eight months, the local and international financial community has held back on extending bridging finance, rolling over existing loans and providing new finance to Eskom, until those implicated in maladministration and corruption were removed, and a new credible chairperson, board, CEO and business plan was put in place.

Now that Eskom has a new chairperson, board and acting CEO, and a start has been made in dealing with key executives and managers implicated in maladministration and corruption, it seems that local banks, financial institutions, pension fund managers and lenders are giving Eskom a bit of grace and space to get its house in order. However, some lenders like Futuregrowth are still holding back.

But when the dust settles and hard reality sinks in, what is it that will be expected of Eskom and government (as shareholder) to regain the confidence of the financial community sufficiently to start extending new finance, be it bridging finance, rolling over or refinancing existing debt, providing new loans, of buying new Eskom bonds?

I would suggest it is now time for ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to convene a new “war room” of energy experts, professionals and technocrats, along the lines of Ramaphosa’s previous load shedding “war room”, or the former Ministerial Advisory Council on Energy to consider some of the issues identified below:

Replace dodgy ministers

1. Appoint a new credible minister of public enterprises to replace Lynne Brown.

2. Appoint a new credible minister of energy to replace David Mahlobo.

Nuke the nuclear deal

3. Provide greater energy and electricity policy certainty.

4. Finalise and publish an integrated energy plan (IEP) for South Africa.

5. Finalise and publish a new, updated integrated resource plan for electricity (IRP).

6. Provide greater clarity regarding the future of coal in the energy mix.

7. Provide greater clarity regarding the future of gas in the energy mix.

8. Provide greater clarity regarding the future of renewables in the energy mix.

9. Formally call an end to any plans to embark on a nuclear new build programme.

10. Restart a new renewable energy independent power producer procurement (REIPPP) programme.

Appoint untainted leaders and up accountability

11. Put in place a credible permanent Eskom CEO.

12. Put in place a credible permanent Eskom CFO.

13. Put in place a new, credible Eskom executive team.

14. Increase accountability by the minister, chairperson, board and executive management at Eskom.

15. Further suspensions/disciplinary processes/firing of Eskom executives and senior managers implicated in maladministration and corruption.

Tackle the utility death spiral

16. Create a credible vision and strategy for South Africa’s “electricity utilities of the future”.

17. Address the so-called utility death spiral facing Eskom.

18. Put in place a credible new business plan for Eskom.

Address industry nuts and bolts

19. Restructure Eskom to be fit-for-purpose in the modern era.

20. Unbundle Eskom generation into a number of competing generation companies.

21. Establish Eskom Transmission, an independent system and market operator (ISMO).

22. Ensure non-discriminatory access to the grid on level playing fields for Eskom generators and independent power producers (IPPs).

23. Establish a South African electricity market to add to and complement the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

24. Address the fragmentation of municipal electricity re-distributors through rationalisation, to form a reduced number of viable regional electricity distributors (REDs).

25. Separate the wires and energy business of electricity distributors, and establish electricity retailers and retail competition.

Clean up finances

26. Provide greater transparency on Eskom’s financial position, liquidity, debt, etc.

27. Obtain an unqualified audit for Eskom’s 2017/18 financial results.

28. Improve Eskom’s stand-alone credit rating towards investment grade.

29. Improve South Africa’s economy, financial position, debt levels and sovereign credit rating.

30. Increase government guarantees on Eskom debt.

Look at environmental sustainability

31. Plan for Eskom’s role in meeting South Africa’s international CO2 emission commitments.

32. Plan for decommissioning and/or ensuring environmental compliance of all non-compliant coal-fired power stations in the Eskom fleet.

33. Reduce Eskom’s water dependency through a move to low water use generation technologies.

Stop construction of some Kusile units

34. Slow down Eskom capital expenditure on its new build programme.

35. Halt the construction of Units 3, 4 and 5 at Kusile power station.

Fix pricing and regulation issues

36. Replace the current electricity regulation framework to make it fit-for-purpose.

37. Review any Eskom decision to appeal the Nersa electricity price determination for 2018/19, and obtain final clarity on Eskom’s electricity tariffs for the year ahead.

38. Obtain certainty on the outcomes of Eskom’s 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 regulatory clearing account (RCA) applications totalling R66bn.

39. Finalise a new multi-year electricity price determination (MYPD) for the next three to five years.

40. Provide clarity on Eskom’s electricity price trajectory for the next five to ten years.

Sort out capital structure

41. Strengthen Eskom’s balance sheet, and address the recapitalisation of Eskom.

42. Increase Eskom’s equity by the shareholder (government) by a further cash injection (bailout).

43. Consider debt-to-equity swaps to reduce Eskom debt and increase equity.

44. Sell assets to reduce Eskom debt and increase working capital.

45. Take on strategic equity partner(s) to increase Eskom’s equity, strengthen its management and technical skills, and broaden its vision.

46. Increase public participation in the business of Eskom through stock exchange listing(s) to increase equity, transparency and management accountability.

Resolve issue of non-paying municipalities

47. Address the problem of non-payment by municipal electricity re-distributors.

48. Address the problem of non-technical losses (electricity theft and non-payment by electricity end-customers).

49. Reduce Eskom staff numbers and costs to those of its peers in global electricity utility business.

50. Reduce Eskom primary energy costs though effective procurement practices.
 
Have you considered thinking about your life choices specifically focusing on why you have not em"powered" yourself yet?

With the increase in prices solar is almost as affordable as a kw/h from eskom and if you consider it over 5 years or more it becomes an attractive investment.

Currently I haven't gone solar but have other means of power as I cannot afford to not work for even 2 hours.

I'll be going solar in the next 2 years.
I am going ''solo'' asap ,totally gatvol of citipower and Eskom , rep from Voltex will come and see me next week .Est R92000 for 18 panels and all the bells and whistles .Got gas stove already , looking at a gas/electric fridge and freezer and inverter generator 2.5 to 5kw.
 
I am going ''solo'' asap ,totally gatvol of citipower and Eskom , rep from Voltex will come and see me next week .Est R92000 for 18 panels and all the bells and whistles .Got gas stove already , looking at a gas/electric fridge and freezer and inverter generator 2.5 to 5kw.
a little know fact, you may need to pay a structural engineer to for an OK to actually put the panels on your roof.
 
Jeepers @BioHAZarD, do you work in the energy field?
Very informative, thanks!
 
Power is back on

In a way i am a bit upset - was enjoying the peace and quiet
Now theres a lot of activities that need to get done, lol
 
Awesome @Jean claude Vaaldamme
Love it!
Thats an epic coil!

During loadshedding - if in the day - i usually do chores that dont require power that ive been putting off - like tidying the desk or my cupboards. I find the (very) occasional power failure to be quite therapeutic in a way. Its just when it gets too frequent that it drives me nuts

In the evenings i just read or check up on the forum.

We are being loadshed now - am hotspotting off the phone to my ipad.
Same here, I repotted a few plants on Friday's outage and cleared out some broken gardening stuff.
 
My only key checklist is
1 have the baby bottles been washed
2 have the bottles been sterilised

After that everything is good
 
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