1. Bring foods to the boil quickly on the “high” setting, then turn the heat down to simmer to finish cooking.

2. Fill up freezer to avoid heavy icing but don’t overload the fridge because the quality of the food lowers and uses more electricity.

3. Remove heavy wrapping from food before storing it in the refrigerator.

4. Use cooking utensils with flat bottoms that completely cover the stove, and tight fitting covers to improve heat transmission and retain it.

5. It is more economical to defrost your food in the refrigerator instead of the microwave oven – plan ahead.

6. Use light coloured curtains to reflect sun for passive cooling and heating.

7. Protect outdoor cooling units from the sun. Place them on the south or shady side of your house.

8. Saving electricity not only reduces pressure on the grid but also reduces your electricity bill and South Africa’s carbon emissions. Let’s do it together!

9. Buy a washing machine, which offers a variety of water temperature settings to give you the option to use hot or cold water depending on the load.

10. Turn off your iron before you are finished and complete the ironing on stored energy.

11. Ensure that your doors and windows are closed when using a heater to trap the heat inside.

12. When using an electrical blanket, preheat it before bedtime and switch it off when you go to sleep.

13. When vacuuming, empty or replace the dust bag frequently to ensure that it works efficiently to save time and energy.

14. A faulty appliance will not work efficiently and can waste energy; it must be repaired or replaced promptly.

15. Boil only the amount of water you’ll need to use, instead of filling the kettle and not using all of the boiled water.

16. Pre-soak clothes in the washing machine to remove stubborn stains, this will cut down washing time and save electricity.

17. Clean and clear up refrigerator so that you can switch it off if you are going to take a long holiday.

18. Don’t leave geyser on throughout the day, switch it on when you are about to bath and just wait for the water to heat up.

19. Wait until you have full laundry loads because a washing machine uses the same amount of electricity, regardless of the load.

20. Dimming switches allow you to regulate the light level and reduces energy consumption.

Saving electricity not only reduces pressure on the grid but also reduces your electricity bill and South Africa’s carbon emissions. Let’s do it together!