Electricity tariff hikes - here are 5 tips to save power AND money

It also means that we will be using A LOT more electricity, and of course, this means the powers that be are going to be charging us more for it.

Yes, that’s right. In addition to looming tariff hikes and load shedding, as of the 1st July we will be paying more for electricity during peak times in winter, thanks to a little something called time-of-use (TOU) charges.

According to Eskom’s official website, peak times during winter are between 6am - 9am and 5pm – 7pm. Not everyone will be affected by TOU charges, only people who are on the WEPS, Megaflex, Genflex Urban, Genflex Rural, Transflex 1, Transflex 2, Miniflex and Ruraflex systems.

To find out if this affects you and by how much, Eskom has provided spreadsheet documenting all the rates for all the different systems on their site.

Regardless of whether this affects you or not, it is probably a good idea to be more economical with your electricity use, especially given our current power situation.  

Here are some hints to help you save electricity this winter:

According to a press release from Mr. Power Geysers, your geyser accounts for around 40% of your electricity bill and is one of the main pressures of the evening peak period.

1. Installing a geyser controller, which is programmed to heat the geyser during off-peak periods only and will automatically switch off your geyser circuit once you   have a full tank of hot water, will also help alleviate some of the pressure on your budget and power usage.

2. Why not switch off your geyser during peak times, and switch it back on when you go to bed? The water will be heated during the night (when tariffs are lower) and you can have hot morning showers.

3. And we all want to have a nice, hot meal when we arrive home, but this often happens during peak times too, so why not switch to gas or investigate alternative methods of cooking?

4. Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible - it will put a lot less pressure on your geyser.

5.  And last, but not least always remember to switch of anything that draws power when not in use.

Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.