The “Please Use Only What You Need” campaign aims to create awareness, educate, and encourage participation among the residential and business sectors to use only the electricity that they really need, and in so doing assist to relieve pressure on the national electricity network.
The overarching campaign message is “Please use only what you need” and “Together, we can make a difference” and another objective is to avoid or reduce load shedding as far as possible.  Eskom will share the relevant electricity savings behavioural tips as well as information on efficient technologies and appliances with customers to empower them to effectively manage their own consumption.    
 
Eskom recognises that this campaign needs to be inclusive as it cannot do this alone.  The support from the South African residential and business sectors is crucial to relieving pressure on the power grid and making this campaign a success. 
 
Think before switching on the heater – rather dress warmly; use a blanket and a hot water bottle to keep cosy.  Electric space heaters can account for up to 17% of your evening peak power click here to find out more
 
The first and easiest way to reduce your usage is to switch off unnecessary lights click here to find out more
Boil enough water only for the number of cups of tea or coffee you’re making. Use a hot water bottle rather than an electric blanket. Use only cold water to wash your hands, to prevent the geyser from unnecessarily turning on
Take advantage of sunlight to warm rooms during the day, but then close the curtains to reduce heat loss during the evenings
 
 

Keep an eye out for Power Alert on SABC, etv and DStv.  The colour-coded alerts share the electricity supply status levels with the required switch-off actions to effectively reduce electricity demand.  Please respond immediately by switching off unnecessary lights, your geyser and pool pump

Power failures

Electricity is extremely helpful in our everyday lives

Sometimes it can go wrong and you are left with a power failure. It is important to know what to do and what to look for should this happen to you.

  • Know where to locate the “mains” box in your home. 

  • In the event of a power failure, first check to see if you are the only house affected. If you are, check the “mains” box to see if the main power switch has tripped. If it has, switch it back on – the circuit with the fault should now remain off. Have it fixed as soon as possible.

  • If you are unsure of what to do, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING! Call an electrician as soon as possible to fix the problem for you.

  • The problem can be caused by a lightning storm, a problem with the power lines in your area, vandalism or an accident in the substation servicing your area. When a power failure affects all the houses in your area it is usually due to a problem with the main power supply and the proper authorities should be contacted immediately.

Click here for safety around the home information