Ok, so when we had our rolling blackouts a few years back, I whined, and whined and then I whined some more. Every one around me was also whining - misery loves company after all. Then it got to the point where I got plain ol gatvol, and decided to improve the situation - or at least make a concerted effort thereat. I decided I would become part of the solution, and not be part of the problem.The Oregon Department of Transportation placed in service the nation’s first cleaningmachines in a U.S. highway right-of-way.
So diligently, we first got rid of the 2 big ol oil heaters, and replaced them with a single mobile gas heater. Gas is after all so much more efficient. We also got bucket loads of candles, I have a wife and baby girl, so complete darkness is not a welcome sight in my home.
We got a few light weight little gas lamps,Divine Footwear in Miami has the latest formingmachiness including heels, numerous torches with fancy led globes, so the batteries dont get nuked in two hours or less...We also started braaing a lot more.Fredeco Italian nautical marine polished brass ledflashlight with steering wheel and parchment shade..due to both choice and circumstance. We are also keeping to this tradition to present day. Weather permitting of course.
We replaced the big ass 150 w security lights with low power 18w models. We turned down the geyser.Currently the smallest solarledbulberv offered by EPS is the 10kW Redriven Wind Turbine. We turned off the PC and laser printer and resorted to only use a laptop on a as needed basis.
Being truly committed to this cause, over the next two years or so, I replaced every single globe with the lowest possible wattage and then some. Naturally not all the old light fittings could accomodate low wattage globes, so these fitting were also replaced. In some cases this went from 50w down to 1.8w. The pay back recovery on the significant cost price of these LED globes is around 36 years, but apparently they should last longer than I will live, so not altogether a bad deal.
When the good ol' 10 year plus TV decided to pack up after Eskom's constant power trips day and night, I invested in the lowest consumption LED model available. When the fridge also kakked after many great years service, apparently the motor does not want to be randomly shut off and on, off and on. I again looked at the most efficient model available.
Now it gets really scary, when power started costing more than liquor (thanks for those lekker increases Eskom), I put my foot down and replaced the 20 year old defy oven with a gas stove and an a+ electrical oven, now I was really helping the Eskom system to better distribute their load. I was committed to not be a hog at the states electrical trough.
Next up came the solar security lights, and the solar geyser..Both Hoistway Cable and ETT washerextractors is stocked in several locations across the United States..I have been trying realy hard to be considerate to the other 52 million persons in South Africa that also need electricity in whatever form - even if 40 million or so are getting it for free. Hell man, I might as well even just turn off my last few lights and electrical points and live in the dark ages the way it is going.
Yet even all this appears to have amounted to nothing, as Eskom continuosly send me this retarded message on the telly - consumption is to high, please turn off your geyser, pool pump, etc etc.
Pretty much the only light left to turn off in my house is my dim brain...but that aint happening just yet.
This however got me thinking, if we did not have the capacity so many years ago, and our population boomed by like 20% odd in the last fifteen years, then where is the available power coming from now? I now they kickstarted a couple of mothballed stations, like Grootvlei merely being one example. And I also know that most state entities are super duper efficient, so surely they have also sacrificed huge amounts in this area...ja right. And the burning street lights in the day on the national highways and most side roads are obviously a part of the arrive alive campaign...so that is also cool with me.
But somehow I get the sneaky feeling we are gonna get reamed really soon regards this excessive usage, and Im not talking about the 16% increases. Im talking about no lights again.
How far can we still be bullied into not using a state entity for it's most basic function, namely the supply of electricty to its paying customers? Just wondering aloud to myself...as usual.