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Power Outage Preparedness Checklist South Africa

Being caught unprepared during load shedding is frustrating, potentially dangerous, and entirely avoidable. This complete checklist covers every category your household needs to address — from basic lighting to medical equipment and pet care. Print it out, work through it, and stop scrambling when the lights go out.

For deeper coverage of backup power options and costs, see our complete load shedding survival guide.

🔦 Lighting

Rechargeable LED desk lamp (one per main room) — R150–R400 each
LED torch with rechargeable batteries — R80–R250
Head torch for hands-free tasks — R80–R200
Large power bank (20,000mAh+) charged daily — R500–R900
Solar lantern for general room lighting — R200–R800
Emergency candles as absolute last resort (with holder and fire safety in mind)
EskomSePush app installed and suburb configured

🍳 Food & Cooking

Gas stove with spare gas cylinder — R400–R1,200 + R700 per 9kg swap
7-day supply of non-perishable food (canned goods, rice, pasta, UHT milk)
Manual can opener
Cooler box + reusable ice packs for dairy during extended outages
Habit: always cook double portions when load shedding is scheduled
Know: fridge safe for 4hrs closed; freezer 24hrs when full
Camping/portable gas kettle for hot drinks

💧 Water

10L water storage containers filled before each outage if water pressure is affected
Know whether your municipal water pressure is affected by load shedding
Consider JoJo tank installation if pressure regularly drops — R3,000–R8,000
Water purification tablets (for extended emergencies)
Know location of manual water shut-off valve for your property

💻 Communication & Work From Home

UPS for router and fibre ONT (keep internet during load shedding) — R800–R3,000
Mobile data SIM as backup internet (Vodacom/MTN LTE)
Laptop battery always above 80% before scheduled load shedding
Notify employer of load shedding schedule — set expectations for connectivity
Download key documents/presentations before outage
Power bank for phone charging — minimum 10,000mAh
Know your mobile hotspot settings for laptop backup internet

🏥 Medical & Health

CPAP machine: UPS or dedicated battery backup (life-critical — R2,000–R8,000)
Insulin storage: cooler with ice during extended outages if fridge off >4hrs
Oxygen concentrator: contact your healthcare provider for load shedding backup plan
First aid kit fully stocked
Essential medications: at least 2-week buffer stock
Emergency contact numbers saved (doctor, pharmacist, ambulance: 10177)
Hearing aid batteries fully stocked

🔒 Security

Test alarm system battery — replace if can't hold charge for 4+ hours
Test electric fence energiser battery backup
Test gate motor backup battery — know how to manually release gate
Solar-powered PIR floodlights on gates and entry points
Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp group active and joined
Armed response number saved and subscription current
Manual key to all gate padlocks accessible

🎮 Entertainment (Especially for Children)

Board games, card games, puzzles — screen-free entertainment
Downloaded movies/series on tablet or laptop before outage
Offline books and activities for children
Small battery-powered or USB-powered speaker for music/audiobooks

👴 Elderly Household Members

Ensure mobility aids (stairlifts, electric beds) have manual overrides — know how to use them
Medical alert device: confirm it works without grid power
Adequate lighting for safe movement at night
Warm clothing available if electric heating goes off in winter
Family member or neighbour designated to check in during extended outages

🐾 Pets

Electric fence: ensure animals cannot escape through inactive fence during load shedding
Aquarium pump UPS: fish tanks need oxygenation — even 30 minutes without air pump can kill fish
Reptile/specialist animal heating: have backup heat source (heat pads, ceramic bulbs on UPS)
Pet food 2-week buffer stock
Manual gate latches work without power to prevent pet escape

🚗 Vehicle & Transport

Garage door: know manual release procedure — practice it before you need it in the dark
Keep fuel tank above half during high load shedding stages (petrol stations also lose power)
Electric vehicle: ensure charging scheduled during off-peak/non-load-shedding hours
Car charger for phone (12V adapter) as emergency phone charging backup

💡 One-time investment that solves most of the above: A home inverter with a lithium battery (R15,000–R35,000 installed) powers your lights, fridge, router, TV, and charging points through any load shedding stage — silently, instantly, and without any checklist items needed. It's the long-term solution to everything above.

Want to stop relying on a checklist and just stay on automatically?

Ask our experts about the right inverter and battery solution for your home — we'll help you choose the right size and budget.

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