Every South African knows the meaning of load shedding. The words ‘load shedding’ bring about a feeling of dismay to most, especially to businesses who are housed in buildings that do not have an alternate power source like a generator. Load shedding can easily be dealt with in the home environment, using candles, gas for heating and cooking and the ever-popular fire outside for cooking. Businesses, on the other hand, feel the impact of loss of power the most. This is particularly true of smaller businesses who do not have the infrastructure to cope with the loss of electrical power.
The effects of load shedding on business:
- Loss of production: where most businesses use electricity for machinery, technology and light to complete the day’s work, loss of electrical power means that the day’s target cannot be completed.
- Loss of profit: with the loss of production, there is a loss of profit, and in some cases, a large loss. Businesses cannot keep pay their employees to be present during a power outage as essentially they will be paying a ‘non-worker’.
- Theft and burglary: small businesses are choosing to close for business during load shedding as the incidences of theft increase. During the power outage, burglar alarms are rendered useless, unless they have an alternate power source, which in turns increased risk of burglary.
- Damage to electronics: the surge of electricity when the power is returned upsets the steady voltage flow in the electrical system. This in turn can cause damage to electronic components.
Steps to take:
While load shedding cannot be avoided, there are some practical steps to follow to minimise the impact it has on your business.
- Be aware: keep up to date on load shedding schedules. In this way you can plan your day, maximising the time where there is power.
- Consider alternative energy solutions: while the cost of converting to solar power or purchasing a generator may seem high, the advantages of having such a system in place for when load shedding does occur, far outweigh the cost.
- Back up your data: this should be a routine procedure in any workplace. With a back-up system in place, there is no need for panic if the power goes off.
While load shedding is an inconvenience to most, using sensible, creative and smart plans can help minimise the impact of load shedding.
If you would like more information on how to lessen the impact of load shedding on your business, speak to Generator Parts today.