A power outage commonly known as Loadshedding in South Africa can be described as an interruption in the supply of electricity.
It usually interrupts by the electricity supplier of the country.
Many causes can lead to a power outage such as weather conditions or natural disasters, equipment failure, human error, Wildlife interference/even animal interference, High energy demand, planned power outages, and cyberattacks.
How to get ready for a power outage?
During a power outage, the main concern and preoccupation is the safety of everyone in the house.
- Purchase flashlights that work with batteries and make sure they are fully charged and allocated in strategic places in your house.
- Have candles and matches available and ready to use – Make sure they are in a safe area far from flammable objects.
- Have a first aid kit available in an accessible location of your household.
- Turn off all the electrical appliances or equipment of your household.
- Leave one light on, it will allow you to know when the electricity is back.
- Purchase a food thermometer as it will help you to indicate the temperatures of your refrigerator/ freezer to determine if the food is safe.
- Do a stock of non-perishable food and water.
- Purchase a power bank to be able to charge your phone during a power outage.
What can be impacted during a power outage
- No network – You might experience an unstable network or no network at all.
- No light
- An unexpected interruption can affect the electrical equipment/ appliance of your household.
- ATMs – Make sure to always have some cash around you
- Grocery store – It’s advisable to always keep a stock of food available at home.
In conclusion, A power outage is not a joke, it’s something that needs to be taken with a lot of consideration, to the homeowner it can mean more than just being deprived of electricity for a certain period. It can lead to the ruin of perishable food or also having burst pipes, which can lead to water damage.