It is no secret that increasing electricity costs are putting a strain on many South African’s wallets. If you are one of them and you are unsure why you are faced with a high electricity bill at the end of each month, take a look at these 7 ways to cut down on costs and use your electricity more wisely.

7 Tips to save power

  1. Turn appliances off at the wall when you are not using them. Having them on standby still uses power and costs you money. Don’t leave your chargers plugged in if you’re not charging anything either.
  2. Install a pre-paid electricity meter so that you can keep track of how much electricity you are using. This will allow you to set a weekly or monthly budget.
  3. If you do not need to be using the lights, turn them off. The same goes for the TV or the computer. If no one is using them there is no need for them to be on.
  4. Switch to using LED lights as they are more energy efficient so your electricity bills won’t be as high.
  5. Make sure that your dishwasher is full when you run it. Not only will you be cutting down on electricity costs, but water costs as well.
  6. Use the quick cycle on the washing machine and wash at low temperature or in cold water. Only very dirty laundry needs a long cycle and higher temperatures.
  7. Don’t fill up the kettle unless you really do need a kettle full of boiling water. If you’re making a cup of tea, boil only as much as you need.

While these tips will help save you money at the end of the month, they will also help lessen the current pressure on the South African national electricity supply.