Winter is coming and so are higher electricity bills: 10 Smart ways to stay warm and save

As temperatures drop, electricity bills rise. With the average person using about 3,229 kWh annually and household consumption spiking by at least 20% in colder months due to heating, the season can come with a hefty price tag.

Dr Andrew Dickson, engineering executive at CBi-electric: low voltage, warns that Eskom’s 12.74% tariff increase means the average family of 3.4 people could pay an extra R300 per month, and that’s just under the Homelight and Homepower flat-rate tariffs. Homeflex users face even steeper hikes, with winter peak rates topping R7/kWh. Being proactive about energy use now can save money and ease pressure on the grid, especially with load shedding on the cards if outages exceed 15GW.”

To help households stay warm without burning through their budget, he offers 10 smart home tech tips:

1. Understand Your Energy Habits: If you don’t know how much electricity your appliances are using, you won’t know where to cut back. Take an oil heater, for example. Running a 2,000W heater for eight hours a night could use up to 16 kWh per day, costing around R260 a week at current rates. Over three months, that’s more than R3,000 for one room. Smart devices help track usage so you can cut back where it counts.
2. Avoid Energy Overload: Some smart home systems offer load management, which ensures that only one high-energy appliance runs at a time, reducing the peak demand. Smart automation can stagger appliance use, ensuring each runs at optimal times without straining the system.
3. Set Smart Time Limits:Users can specify the operating duration of appliances, like running the geyser for only two hours to save electricity while ensuring a hot bath.
4. Time It Right: Smart home technologies give users the ability to schedule when appliances turn on or off. This tip applies mainly to Homeflex customers, who pay different rates depending on the time of use. For example, a washing machine programmed to run during off-peak hours (10pm–5am) could cost as little as 01/kWh, compared to over R7/kWh during winter peak times. While flat-rate customers won’t benefit from time-based savings, smart scheduling can still help reduce overall load or shift usage to when demand is lower on the grid.
5. Watch the Winter Spike:Even with flat rates, household consumption climbs during winter as heaters, underfloor systems and electric blankets work overtime. Smart home devices can help by setting on/off schedules and limiting how long appliances run. For example, you can programme a heater to switch on 30 minutes before your alarm goes off in the morning, warming your bedroom just in time, without it running all night.
6. Let the Weather Decide:Smart home technologies can respond to real-time environmental conditions, like temperature drops, reduced daylight, or even changes in humidity, to automatically control appliances. For instance, if the sun sets earlier on a gloomy winter afternoon, lights can be set to turn on.
7. Control Energy from Anywhere: Worried you left a device switched on? Smart home technologies allow users to turn connected appliances off from their smartphone and/or tablet from anywhere in the world.
8. Stop Paying for Sleep Mode: When in standby mode, electronic goods like microwaves, computers, televisions and coffee machines can consume even more electricity than when they are in use, as theyare only active for relatively short periods. While the obvious solution would be to unplug all non-essential appliances when inactive, smart home tech lets users switch off any items that are pulling power unnecessarily.
9. Safeguard Your Solar Investment: As more South Africans invest in rooftop solar, not only for backup but to reduce reliance on the grid and cushion the impact of rising electricity costs, smart home technology can play a role in protecting that investment. Smart power indicators, for example, help solar PV users manage energy more effectively when grid power is unavailable, by disconnecting non-essential appliances and preserving battery life until the system recharges. They can also automate other smart devices to keep essential infrastructure, such as security systems, operational. By allowing users to switch off high-consumption appliances like geysers and pool pumps, smart indicators help prevent system overload and extend battery performance.
10. Protect Your Appliances: Even though load shedding has largely eased, occasional voltage fluctuations and power surges still pose a risk to household appliances, especially in areas with ageing infrastructure or after storms. Smart home technologies can help protect your devices by allowing you to set a safe operating voltage range. If the voltage falls outside this range, the system can automatically switch off the flow of electricity until it stabilises, reducing the risk of damage to costly items like fridges, TVs, and Wi-Fi routers.

“Contrary to popular belief, homeowners won’t need to rewire their homes to enjoy the benefits of smart home technologies. Devices like smart plugs, isolators and controllers can easily be installed by an electrician without the need for additional wiring or hubs,” points out Dr Dickson. “Additionally, with the latest smart adaptors, tenants can enjoy the same benefits as homeowners and easily take their setup with them when they relocate or travel.”

He concludes by saying, “As we head into the colder months, even small changes can make a big difference. By using smart technology to manage our energy use, South Africans can stay warm, save money, and feel more in control of their electricity bills.”