BE A 'BRIGHT SPARK' WHEN USING ELECTRICITY

Saving energy helps relieve the strain on the planet … and your wallet

- DEFY SOUTH AFRICA

WHILE ENERGY costs become evermore expensive, as evidenced by the year-on-year electricity price increases that have been shouldered by the South African public, various campaigns continue to raise awareness around climate change and the need for greater energyefficiency in the country.

Saving energy is both a short- and longterm imperative for South Africans—the former serving as a way to relieve financial pressure, and the latter serving as a means by which to contribute to the global 2030 target of net-zero.

Accordingly, solving the energy crisis in South Africa is as much about the ‘bigger picture’ as it is about the microeconomics of our country.

The need for energy-efficiency has never been more urgent, and is something that all South Africans can work towards in their individual capacities by becoming more conscious of the energy consumption of their everyday appliances—which include fridges, geysers, televisions, and washing machines.

According to a 2021 University of Cape Town study, the residential sector (which consumes a fifth of the world's energy) stands to benefit from the national move towards energy-efficiency, as stipulated in the government's post-2015 National Energy Efficiency Strategy. This Strategy aims for a 20% improvement in the average energy performance of the residential sector by 2030, relative to the 2015 baseline.

The goal of becoming a more energyefficient country can be reached in two significant ways: