Rory's electricity saving tips

Having arrived back from a long weekend away to find that I had forgotten to load my electricity meter, was far from convenient.

Especially since I had been at Oppikoppi Music Festival and all I wanted was my shower and my bed.

Before I could even think about cleaning myself, I had to deal with the rancid stench that was my fridge and freezer.

But the whole debacle got me thinking about saving electricity and I decided to make a list of a few things we can all do to ease the load on the electricity grid, and essentially, save us lots of money.

1. Don't unnecessarily load your toaster

If you're only going to have one slice of toast, then only put one slice of bread in the toaster. By doing so, you would save the toaster from toasting both slices.

2. Re-use boiling water

It's a common misconception that once you've boiled the water for a cup of tea, and you want another cup of tea later, you have to boil the water again. You don't. It's already boiled once. Just use it. If you have kids, you'll know that actually managing to drink your tea while it's still hot is a rare treat anyway. 

3. Try to braai more often

Lighting a fire uses far less electricity than using your oven. In fact, I'm not entirely sure, but I do think lighting a fire uses almost no electricity. Also, once the grid is hot, you can hang it from the ceiling to make a nifty heater for the lounge while you relax with the family after the braai.

4. Use you car lights sparingly

If there is nobody in sight while you're driving and you need to turn left or right, try to avoid using your indicators. Similarly, never use your brights unless it is absolutely essential that you do so. You will notice a significant saving by doing these two simple things.

5. Help a neighbour out

If you're able to gain access to your neighbour's main electricity switch, you should secretly switch their power off for a few hours every few days. They will immediately notice a significant drop in their electricity bill, and will just attribute the lack of power to load shedding or a cable fault or something. Besides, people love sitting in the dark with candles. They do it at restaurants all the time.

6. Be fridge conscious

When packing things into the fridge, try to put them in front of a fan for a few minutes first. This will cool the products drastically, giving the fridge less work to do, thereby saving a significant amount of electricity.

7. Get to know your neighbours

If you enjoy watching 7de Laan every evening and you can hear the theme music blaring from the houses around you, suggest that you all watch it together at one person's house on one person's TV. Similarly, if your neighbours like the same music as you do, suggest that you all sit in the same room at the same time and listen to it.

8. Spend less time at home

This one is simple. The less time you spend at home, the less electricity you will use. Even if it means walking around the grocery shop for a few hours every night. Try not to walk around the same grocery shop every night though, as it might be considered suspicious behaviour.

9. All about the lights

Before switching a light on at night, ask yourself if you really need to. For instance, if you've been living in the same house for a while, you should really know where everything is anyway. Try to see lights as a luxury and not necessarily a necessity.

10. All about the dress code

If you live in a large family home, and manage to implement the advice mention at number 9, try to ensure all family members have reflective gear to wear around the house. This will ensure you do not walk into each other. Ask your local car guard where such gear is available.