Load-shedding Winter Checklist: What to Sort Out Before the Lights Go Off
Geyser timers, surge protection, a working battery backup and a tested inverter — the five-item checklist every SA household should tick off before Stage 6 lands.
Load-shedding is back on the schedule this winter. A few hours with a qualified electrician before peak season beats three frantic calls during a cold front. Here is the five-item checklist we recommend.
1. Surge protection on the DB board
Every load-shedding cycle is a small power-surge event as the grid comes back on. A whole-house surge arrestor on your distribution board costs about R1 500 - R3 500 installed and protects fridges, TVs and the geyser element from slow-cook damage.
2. Geyser timer + blanket
Heating an uninsulated 150L geyser during Eskom's most expensive TOU window is a slow money-burn. A geyser timer is R800-R1 500 installed. A geyser blanket is R400 and pays for itself in 2-3 months on most households.
3. Rechargeable lights, tested
Every household has a drawer of rechargeables bought five years ago. Test them now. If they last less than 2 hours at full brightness, the battery is cooked — cheaper to replace the light than the cells.
4. Inverter / UPS for the router
A mini-UPS for the router costs R700-R1 500 and keeps you connected through Stage 4. If you work from home, this is one of the highest-leverage purchases of the year.
5. Annual gate motor service
Automated gate motors that only get exercised during load-shedding recovery are the single most common "it worked yesterday!" failure we see. Book a service before winter.
Handi has verified electricians who offer a "winter readiness" package covering items 1-5 as a single callout. Search electrical services and filter by verified status.