In response to recent power shortages in South Africa, the national power company, Eskom, has begun calling on individuals and industry alike to cut power usage. Employing a strategy called "demand-side management," they're engaging customers to limit their consumption, even going so far as to pay industrial plants to shut down during peak hours. The recommendations on the Eskom website read like a green primer:

Businesses are requested to turn off all non-essential lighting and office equipment during the day and overnight.

Residential consumers are encouraged to heed the request of Power Alert and the call to use electricity efficiently. Please keep lights off in rooms which are not occupied. Use hot water sparingly. If heaters are to be used during this period, utilise them to heat the room and not the whole house... Switch off appliances in stand-by mode such as hi-fi systems, video and DVD players and other electronic devices and limit the use of pool pumps. Use microwave ovens rather than stoves.

As part of their national conservation campaign, they've bought billboards with a clever illustration reminding us to use only what we need. That reminds me, I've left the light on in the kitchen...

via WattWatt

Comments (8)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

Add Comment