The load shedding that took place in 2008 cost the South African economy somewhere in the region of R50-billion.

Install an aerated shower which can reduced your hot water consumption by 50%, but will still allow you to enjoy high-pressure showers. Turning your geyser down to 55 degrees and insulating your geyser and hot water pipes can cut down your electricity consumption enormously. Even better, install a solar water heater. Replace every lightbulb in your home with an energy-efficient CFL or LED globe. This can cut down your consumption by as much as 10%.

The first step to overcoming any addiction is to admit that you have a problem. From there you can take it one day and one light switch at a time.

Professional help may be needed for larger business and factories using specialised machinery. Visit Eskom’s Website to apply for a professional energy audit and to find a list of energy specialists in your area.

Not sure how bad your addiction is?

Start here: visit Eskom’s Online Residential Energy Audit to calculate how much energy you consume. Then download our home recovery checklists for easy-to-implement energy saving ideas. Also check out our explore page for comprehensive links to useful tools and information about energy saving.

Are you an energy addict at work too?

Our business recovery checklist will provide you with all you need to conquer energy addiction at the office.

Professional help may be needed for larger business and factories using specialised machinery. Click here to apply for a professional energy audit; alternatively visit Eskom’s website for a list of energy specialists in your area.

A little confused by the eco-buzz words you’ve been hearing? Read on to improve your green vocab:

Daily peak: The maximum amount of energy that electricity consumers demand in one day

Energy efficiency: Programmes to reduce the energy used by specific end-use devices and systems, typically without affecting the services provided

Global warming: An increase in the earth's surface temperature over time

Kilowatt – hour (kWh): Basic unit of electric energy equal to one kilowatt of power supplied to or taken from an electric circuit steadily for one hour: one kilowatt hour equals 100 watt-hours

Load shedding: Scheduled and controlled power cuts by rotating the available capacity among all customers when demand is greater than supply, so as to avoid total blackouts in the supply area

Mothballed: Plant (i.e. power stations) placed in long-term storage

Reserve margin: Difference between the net system capability and the system’s maximum load requirements (peak load or peak demand)