25 Ways to Save Electricity in South Africa
With Eskom tariffs rising every year, reducing your electricity consumption is one of the most effective things you can do for your household budget. Many of these tips cost nothing to implement and some can save hundreds of rands per month. Combined, these 25 tips can save the average South African household R3,000–R5,000 per year.
For bigger savings through technology, also read our guides on LED lighting savings and heat pump vs electric geyser.
Heating & Cooling (Biggest Wins)
1. Set Your Air Conditioner to 25°C (Not 18°C)
Every degree lower in summer (or higher in winter) increases energy use by about 8%. Setting your aircon to 24–26°C instead of 18–20°C can halve its running cost. Use the "dry" or "fan" mode when the temperature is moderate.
Estimated saving: R150–R400/month
2. Use a Ceiling Fan Instead of Aircon
A ceiling fan uses 50–75W versus 1,500–3,500W for an air conditioner — that's 30–70x more efficient for basic cooling. In most SA summers, a ceiling fan with open windows is enough. In winter, run the fan in reverse (clockwise from below) to push warm air down from the ceiling.
Estimated saving: R200–R600/month
3. Insulate Your Ceiling Properly
Up to 40% of your home's heat loss in winter (and heat gain in summer) is through the ceiling. Adding or upgrading insulation (R5,000–R15,000 for a standard home) reduces both heating and cooling energy use dramatically. Isotherm, Aerolite and Knauf are widely available in SA.
Estimated saving: R200–R500/month year-round
4. Block Draughts Around Doors and Windows
Draught strips (R50–R200 per door) prevent cold air infiltration in winter, keeping your home warmer without heating. Also seal gaps around window frames with silicone sealant.
Estimated saving: R50–R150/month in winter
Geyser (Second Biggest Win)
5. Set Your Geyser to 55–60°C
Most geysers are factory-set to 70°C — far hotter than necessary and wasteful. Lower it to 55–60°C (hot enough to kill Legionella bacteria but not scalding). Your geyser will cycle less often and use less electricity. Find the thermostat behind the geyser access panel or call a plumber (R200–R500).
Estimated saving: R80–R200/month
6. Install a Geyser Timer
A geyser timer (R300–R800 installed) heats water only when you need it — typically 30–60 minutes before morning and evening use. Leaving a geyser on 24/7 wastes electricity reheating water that slowly cools via heat loss. A timer is one of the best ROI home improvements available.
Estimated saving: R100–R250/month
7. Insulate Your Geyser and Hot Water Pipes
A geyser blanket (R250–R500) reduces standby heat loss by 20–30%. Insulating the first 1–2 metres of hot water pipe from the geyser prevents heat from radiating into the roof space. Ask your plumber to fit both during any geyser service.
Estimated saving: R50–R150/month
8. Take Shorter Showers
A 10-minute shower uses about 100L of hot water. Cutting to 5 minutes halves the hot water — and therefore the electricity to heat it. For a family of 4, this adds up to significant savings. Installing a water-saving showerhead (R150–R400) also reduces hot water consumption without sacrificing pressure.
Estimated saving: R60–R180/month (4-person household)
Lighting
9. Replace All Incandescent and CFL Bulbs With LED
LED bulbs use 75–80% less electricity than incandescent equivalents and last 15–25x longer. A 10W LED provides the same light as a 60W incandescent. Replacing 20 bulbs in your home can save 1kWh per hour of use. With bulbs available from R15 at Builders Warehouse and Leroy Merlin, the payback period is under 3 months.
Estimated saving: R100–R300/month
10. Switch Off Lights in Empty Rooms
Simple but highly effective. Develop the habit of turning off lights every time you leave a room. In a 3-bedroom home with lights habitually left on, this alone can save 2–4kWh per day — R200–R400 per month at current SA rates.
Estimated saving: R100–R300/month
11. Use Motion Sensors for Outdoor Lights
Outdoor security lights left on all night use far more electricity than motion-activated ones. A PIR motion sensor fitting costs R120–R300 and is easy to install yourself. Your outdoor lights will only activate when needed — full security with a fraction of the electricity use.
Estimated saving: R50–R150/month
Kitchen Appliances
12. Use a Pressure Cooker or Air Fryer Instead of the Oven
A conventional oven uses 2,000–2,500W and takes 20–30 minutes to preheat. An air fryer uses 1,200–1,800W and needs no preheating. A pressure cooker uses 700–1,200W and cuts cooking time by 60–70%. Both are excellent load shedding-friendly alternatives too, as they work on inverters.
Estimated saving: R80–R200/month
13. Only Boil the Water You Need
A kettle is one of the highest wattage appliances in your kitchen (2,000–3,000W). Boiling a full kettle when you only need one cup wastes half the electricity. This one simple habit can save surprising amounts over a month for tea/coffee drinkers.
Estimated saving: R30–R80/month
14. Defrost the Freezer Regularly
Ice build-up thicker than 5mm forces your freezer compressor to work harder, using up to 30% more electricity. Defrost when ice reaches that thickness. Also ensure the door seals are in good condition — run a piece of paper through the door and check for drag; weak seals waste significant energy.
Estimated saving: R40–R100/month
15. Run the Dishwasher on Economy Mode and Air Dry
The heated drying function in dishwashers can add 30–50% to the cycle's energy use. Switch to economy wash and open the door after the cycle to air dry. Run the dishwasher only when full — a half-empty dishwasher uses the same electricity as a full one.
Estimated saving: R30–R80/month
Standby Power ("Vampire" Appliances)
16. Switch Off Appliances at the Wall — Not Just on Remote
TVs, decoders (DStv, OpenView), microwaves, hi-fi systems, and phone chargers all draw standby power when plugged in even when "off." The average SA home has 20–30W of standby draw around the clock — that's 14–21kWh per month wasted. Use switched power strips to cut multiple appliances at once.
Estimated saving: R50–R150/month
17. Unplug Chargers When Not in Use
Phone chargers, laptop chargers, and tablet adapters all draw a small amount of power (0.5–3W) when plugged in but not charging. Individually small — but across multiple devices in a household, it adds up to R20–R50 per month in wasted electricity.
Estimated saving: R20–R50/month
18. Turn Off Your PC — Don't Leave It on Sleep
A desktop computer in sleep mode uses 5–15W; in full sleep it's closer to 1–3W. But a gaming PC or workstation that's left running uses 50–200W all night. Switch off completely when done for the day. Modern computers boot in 30–60 seconds — there's no reason to leave them running overnight.
Estimated saving: R30–R100/month
Pool Pump
19. Run Your Pool Pump for 6–8 Hours — Not 24/7
A pool pump uses 750W–1,500W. Running it 24 hours uses 18–36kWh per day. Most pools only need 6–8 hours of filtration per day. Install a timer (R300–R600) and set it to run during off-peak hours. This one change saves 12–18kWh per day.
Estimated saving: R300–R700/month
20. Install a Variable Speed Pool Pump
Variable speed pumps (R5,000–R12,000) adjust their speed to the filtration need — running slowly most of the time and ramping up only for backwashing. They use 60–80% less electricity than single-speed pumps and typically pay back within 18 months in SA.
Estimated saving: R400–R800/month
Laundry
21. Wash Clothes in Cold Water
Modern washing powders and liquids work perfectly in cold water. Heating water for a warm wash uses about 80–90% of the total washing machine energy consumption. Switch to cold wash and you cut the appliance's energy use by 80%. Only use warm/hot for heavily soiled items or when disinfection is needed.
Estimated saving: R60–R150/month
22. Line Dry Clothes — Skip the Tumble Dryer
A tumble dryer is one of the most electricity-intensive appliances in any home — 2,000–5,000W per cycle, running for 45–75 minutes. With South Africa's sunshine, line drying is almost always possible and superior for fabric life. Use the dryer only in genuine emergencies.
Estimated saving: R150–R400/month
Smart Investments
23. Install a Solar Geyser or Heat Pump
Your geyser typically accounts for 30–40% of your electricity bill. A solar geyser (R8,000–R20,000 installed) can reduce that by 70–80%. A heat pump geyser (R12,000–R25,000) achieves similar savings using a different technology. Both pay back within 3–5 years at current Eskom rates.
Estimated saving: R300–R700/month
24. Switch to LED Downlighters with Dimmers
Many SA homes have halogen or older LED downlighters drawing 35–50W each. Replacing with modern 7–10W LED equivalents on a dimmer saves significantly. When dimmed to 70%, you save 30% of even the LED's already low consumption. Dimmer + LED retrofit kits are available from R80–R200 per fitting.
Estimated saving: R80–R200/month for a 20-downlighter home
25. Monitor Your Usage With a Smart Meter or Clamp Meter
You can't manage what you can't measure. A smart plug (R150–R400) shows you exactly how much electricity each appliance uses. A whole-house clamp meter (R500–R1,500) attaches to your DB board and shows real-time usage. Many SA households discover one appliance (old fridge, pool pump, geyser) is responsible for a third of their entire bill.
Estimated saving: Varies — often R200–R600/month after identifying waste
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