Load Shedding Essentials: The Ultimate Starter Kit
Load shedding can be a major inconvenience, especially if you have load shedding at an inconvenient time, work from home, need to cook or basically just survive. If there’s one thing we can rely on, it’s that load shedding isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future, which unfortunately means that South Africans have the obligation of seeking alternative solutions. We’ve listed a couple of load shedding essentials, from cooking equipment to rechargeable lamps, UPS’ and inverters to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Cooking Solutions
Eating cold food, store-bought meals and visiting the drive-thru can become tiresome. These reliable cooking solutions will help with those hangry episodes.
Cook quick meals & save energy with InstantⓇ Brands Appliances
Still waiting for your oven to heat up before the power goes out? With Instant Pot, Duo Crisp or Instant Vortex air fryers you can now prepare healthy meals in a flash. Cook dinner for the family in 30 mins or less, ahead or after load shedding. Think schnitzels and potato wedges or the famous 15 mins no-stir risotto, the options are endless. Vortex Air Fryers heat to 205 ℃ in less than 2 mins, which means food goes from frozen to golden perfection in minutes. Instant Pot features a stainless steel inner pot that retains heat, so you can cook your meals in advance and keep them warm till you’re ready to eat.
The Duo Crisp is the best of both worlds, allowing you to air fry meals in an Instant Pot by simply swopping lids; a roast chicken now takes 40 mins and can even be done from frozen! All appliances save up to 80% energy compared to a traditional oven, and work with an inverter, battery and solar set up.
- Cook meals and air fry in an instant.
- Saves up to 80% power.
- Less oil used – healthier meals.
BUY HERE: Shop these life-changing appliances from takealot.com, @Home and Yuppiechef.
PRICE: Price varies by retailer.
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Holisteeq Essential Hot & Cold Cooking Combo
Gone are the days of eating cold dinners and drinking warm cooldrinks. This budget-beating, hero-combo from Holisteeq is a life-saver for load shedding meals and your favourite beverages! The hot bag is a thermal slow cooker, where you heat food on a fire, or an electric/gas stove for a bit. Simply transfer the pot into the hot bag to continue cooking for a few minutes or hours, depending on what dish you’re making.
Holisteeq also has a lunch cooler bag with a thick thermal lining to keep your meals cold all day long! Whether you want a warm cup of tea or iced coffee, their thermal flask contains a double-wall vacuum made from food-grade stainless steel that will keep liquids cold for up to 18 hours, while hot liquids remain hot for up to 12 hours. Not only will these cooking and lifestyle solutions make your life more convenient, but they have also been carefully designed and manufactured with sustainability, longevity, quality and effectiveness in mind. Gear up and beat the load shedding blues with these nifty gadgets.
- Non-electric – kitchen energy savers.
- Multipurpose – slow cooking meals, keeping meals/beverages hot or cold.
- Ideal for load shedding and camping.
- Great for travelling, transporting food and minimising food spoilage.
PRICE: R1100 | Includes: 2-piece hot bag, 1 x lunch cooler bag, 1 x 750ml double-wall stainless steel, vacuum thermal flask
BUY HERE: Purchase this cooking combo online at the site below or via email.
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Easy cooking with Portable Cadac Gas Canister
Cadac is one of the most trustworthy brands when it comes to camp cookware. The Cadac canister comes with an attachable power cooker top, which is perfect for cooking simple and quick meals. A decent option if you are looking for a temporary and reliable cooking solution during load shedding, as the gas canister is refillable.
- 3kg gas canister with detachable cooker top.
- Portable, refillable and easy to carry.
- Steady, consistent heat distribution – ideal for cooking fast meals.
PRICE: R 1020 | BUY HERE | Cooker Top sold separately for R 189.
*You can swap out gas canisters at most petrol stations, simply inquire about the cost.
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Make quick meals with the SAFY Gas Stove
A single gas stove burner is perfect if you live alone or are cooking a meal for two people, depending on the size of your pot. This gas stove requires liquefied butane gas. It also has a built-in gas leak prevention system for safety. The canister is small; only recommended if you are cooking simple meals that don’t require long cooking periods.
- Easy and safe butane gas canister installation.
- Compact, portable, easy to use and clean.
- High-heat output with adjustable heat control; minimises waste of fuel gas.
PRICE: R 263 | BUY HERE
*You can buy four gas canisters for R 166. Always make sure that the gas canister is compatible with your gas stove type. Most brands sell customised gas canisters that are designed specifically for the product.
Lighting Solutions
Forget about stumbling through the darkness en route to the kitchen. These effective lighting solutions will see you through.
Light the Way with Clover Leaf Candles
Clover Leaf Candles has been a leader in the candle manufacturing business, bringing light to South Africans since 1952. This family owned company is dedicated to manufacturing the finest quality candles. Whether you’re in need of lighting solutions for load shedding or planning an event, their candles are designed to cater to your every need – the motto says it all, “A candle for every occasion”.
Their extensive range includes core candles (pillar, ball, tea lights, dinner), church candles, citronella candles, floating candles, fashion candles and scented candles. Only the finest materials are carefully sourced from all over the world to achieve the high quality of Clover Leaf Candles. We also love that their packaging is recyclable and environmentally-friendly.
- Reliable solution if you have forgotten to charge lights or have run out of batteries.
- Cost effective and doesn’t require charging.
- Fragranced candles leave a lovely scent throughout your home.
BUY HERE: To purchase Clover Leaf Candles, order online at the link below or via email.
PRICE: Price varies by retailer.
Reliable lighting solution: Ultra Tec Lantern with Powerbank
Light lanterns are not only effective if you need to cook during load shedding, they also double as camping equipment. These awesome lanterns are rechargeable, so you don’t have to deal with constantly replacing batteries. They even double up as a powerbank, so you can charge your mobile devices in case of emergencies.
- 2 lanterns; each has a built-in AC charger.
- Portable; comes with a carry bag.
- Brightness of 800 lumens; reliable battery life.
PRICE: R 549 (2 x lanterns) | Shop this nifty gadget at takealot.com.
Need Energy-saving LED Rechargeable Bulbs?
These self-charging pin bulbs are another affordable option. Most energy-saving LED bulbs charge throughout the day and switch on automatically. They provide sufficient lighting for two to four hours, but may dim depending on the duration of power outages. Also an environmentally-friendly solution, as these bulbs do not contain mercury.
- Rechargeable; used as a standard globe, remains charged throughout the day.
- 20W; lighting for 2-4 hours.
- Decent brightness; may dim depending on the duration of power outage.
- Contains no mercury; enviro-friendly.
PRICE: R 192 (2 x light bulbs) | BUY HERE
Power Solutions
We’ve all been warned about the dangers of leaving our devices plugged in when load shedding hits. Surge protectors counteract this by protecting electrical devices during voltage spikes, which could save you money in fixing damaged devices. We also have power bank options to help stay charged during those 4-hour-long blackouts.
Keep charged with Romoss Sense 4 Mini Power Bank
Look no further for fast, effective and reliable charging – this powerbank has built-in safety systems that will protect your devices from overcharging, and also has smart technology that detects your device’s charging needs and powers it accordingly.
- Two input and output ports (micro USB and type-C); can charge devices simultaneously.
- LED indicators display how much charge you have left.
- Safeguards protect device against overcharging, overheating and short circuits.
- Li-polymer battery is lighter vs. conventional li-ion battery.
PRICE: R 359 | BUY HERE
Functional & Stylish @memorii Bamboo Wireless Powerbank
Powerbanks always come in handy if your mobile device is low on battery life, especially if you rely on it as a hotspot during load shedding. Whether wireless or plugged in, the @memorii Bamboo Wireless Powerbank allows you to recharge your phone with ease.
- Supports wireless charging and charging via USB cable.
- Input both via micro USB and type-C.
- Long-lasting grade-A 8.000 mAh lithium polymer battery; remaining power displayed.
PRICE: R 589 | Shop this at takealot.com.
Switched Multiplug to keep your devices protected
This affordable 4-way switched multiplug is a decent standard option to charge your devices. It contains a surge and overload protector, as well as other great built-in safety features. You can even charge up to four devices at a time!
- Surge Protection: 450 Joules; Max Surge Protection of 6000 A.
- Total Surge Current: 15000 A.
- Maximum Load: 3500 W; supports up to 4 devices.
- Cord length: 0.5m cord.
PRICE: From R 237 | BUY HERE
High Surge Protection 12 Way Multi-plug
This is a great option if you have to charge a couple of appliances ahead of load shedding, it also protects your devices against any electrical damage.
- Max connected load: 3680W.
- Cord length: 0.5m cord.
- Provides power and protection for up to 12 appliances; overload reset button.
- Built-in safety shutters and flame-retardant materials.
PRICE: R 1378 | BUY HERE
Energy Solutions
Trying to figure out whether you should get a UPS or inverter for your home might be difficult if you’re not in the tech industry. If you are considering investing in a long-term energy solution, it’s important that you’re clued up on the features of the device, such as the backup time, capacity, power requirements, battery types, durability and obviously, pricing.
What’s the Difference Between a UPS & Inverter?
In short, a UPS mainly powers electronic devices and tech equipment through a built-in battery. It also contains an inverter (changes direct current to alternating current), so you can’t power your stove or lights with it unless used for 10 minutes. If you need power supply or WiFi, a UPS might be the better option of the two, as you won’t run the risk of losing valuable data on your computer should your work not be saved offline or if it switches off in the middle of work during load shedding.
Inverters require a battery to connect to a main power source. They can supply backup power to most kitchen/electrical appliances, tech devices and lights. Another major difference is that UPS’ have an uninterrupted power supply, whereas most inverters only kick in a couple of seconds after a power outage. Here are some of the most popular and cost-effective UPS’ and inverters on the market.
Stay connected with Vizia Mini WiFi UPS
Data has become expensive to replenish, especially for those who work from home or run small businesses. A WiFi UPS could be more cost-effective in the long-run. Vizia has a couple of options, but this mini WiFi UPS will meet you halfway. It can supply about four to ten hours of backup power. Furthermore, it can support three devices simultaneously, including LTE/fibre or WiFi routers, LED lights, CCTV cameras and mobile phones.
- Five voltage output types (5V, 9V, 12V, 19V, 24V); capacity of 57,000 mWh.
- Supplies backup power to three devices simultaneously.
- Includes USB output port to charge cell phones and tablets.
- Can last for 10 hours if connected to only one device; lasts 5 hours with two devices.
- High-quality lithium-ion batteries.
- Built-in protection against overcharging, overloading and short circuits.
- Includes an AC power supply (12V), DC splitter cable, DC cable, DC adapter.
PRICE: R 1449 | BUY HERE
Work-from-home made easy with Volkano Mini UPS
Most are familiar with Volkano as a tech brand. This UPS is basic and one of the cheaper options, but supports both wireless and wired tech devices like WiFi or CCTV. It also has a dual DC output that supports two devices and contains a USB port for a third device.
- 1.8m DC power cable.
- Dual DC output supports two devices, and a USB port for a third device.
- LED power indicator.
- Battery power: 8800 mAh Li-Ion.
- Input power: 220 ~ 240 V AC.
PRICE: R 887 | BUY HERE
Stay powered with Lalela Hybrid Pure Sine Wave Inverter
Inverters can cost a good fortune; Lalela is one of the more economical brands on the market. This specific inverter is intended for powering technological devices, as well as kitchen appliances. It can be wired to your distribution board and acts as a backup power solution during load shedding. It contains a fan to prevent overheating and requires two 12V batteries or a 24V lithium battery, these are sold separately.
- Selectable input voltage range for home appliances and personal computers.
- LCD displays for configurable AC/solar input.
- Compatible with mains voltage or generator power.
- Auto restart while AC is recovering.
- Rated power: 3000VA/3000W; standby power consumption: 2 W.
- Transfer time of 10-20 ms for home appliances and PC.
- Battery voltage: 24 VDC; max charging current: 60A.
- Solar charger has maximum efficiency: 98%.
PRICE: R 7999 (Battery excl.) | BUY HERE
Power up with RCT MegaPower Inverter with Battery
Many inverters are sold without the battery, which can be a hefty additional cost. This RCT inverter not only comes with a pre-installed battery, but is also easily transportable as it has wheels. It also has a built-in LCD display to monitor input levels, and is ideal for sensitive electronics and motorised loads.
- Microprocessor control optimises reliability.
- Input power factor correction.
- Comprehensive display allows easy monitoring & access of UPS status.
- Built-in solar charger; battery off switch for safety.
- 2 x USB 5V, DC output and 2 x 12 V DC output.
- Pre-installed batteries; 1 x 100Ah battery.
PRICE: R 10 992 | BUY HERE
*All prices subject to change.
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