Electricity saving tips

Electricity is not just an essential component of every household and business, but also a commodity, which in many cases is taken for granted. As Taxpayers in South Africa we all look to the government to provide us with essential services and many times we take the availability of electricity for granted - I guess rightly so as we are paying for it - Right?

At the time of writing this article, I sit and think back of my childhood days when I grew up on a farm without electricity. I still remember the days when my mom cooked on the big black coal stove in the kitchen that also served as a heater during the cold winters. As kids we used to get dressed in the kitchen as we warmed up our clothes on the doors of the coal stove trying to fight the 0 and sometimes sub zero temperatures outside.

We also used an anthracite stove in the living room, which worked overtime in winter. Flipping a switch for lights did not exist. We used paraffin and gas lamps alternated with candles in the bedrooms. Television did not exist and we listened to stories on the radio after dinner as a family with quality conversations and lots of laughs before it was bedtime. Our fridge/freezer also used gas.