ESKOM screws us all

[desA]

There is a serious theft problem when it comes to electrical solar panels

Incredible... Have to liven them up a little. Put the 220V to good use.

[desA]

Right if you live in a “Rent-a-home” because the bank thinks you are to doggy to own your own then solar-power becomes a pipe dream. It is just not feasible to install a R40000 system onto a house that I DO NOT OWN.

So it brings us back to that age old question... what can I do without?

Hot-water, stove, freezer, TV, Internet, Computer, Alarm system, lights, and let us not forget all the other goodies that runs on power. I have to revert back to the stone age. The question is can I cut back on my cut-backs???

In all honesty I am looking into a mobile Solar system will they do exist it! BUT the COST!!! You are talking about a R100000 I will only see a profit after 11 years! And that is excluding maintenance.

Face it “the alternatives” is basically the same as shooting hour self in the foot and then convince yourself that you did it for your own good

Very fair comments. I also think SA folks are being totally ripped off, by the look of prices I've seen ex China/Taiwan. Guess the solar boys will have set up cartels again - like most other cartels operating in SA.

It may be time to begin looking into powering fridges off a different cycle again - paraffin, etc. The main electrical costs are stove (radiant plate) & geyser, as I remember.

Solar-powered aircon is feasible, now that new technologies are emerging.

[tec0]

Well nothing is for free and trust me alternatives at this point in time is BS!!! They are simply over priced and the power delivery is LESS than satisfactory.

Using alternative fuel like paraffin is like using gold as a conductor at the moment “it will work but damn!!! The cost!!!” Right now alternatives are more expensive than your “local ESKOM POWER”

Now: I am working on a combination system. If something is on then something else must be off. Example: if the computer is on then the TV is off. When the microwave is on something else is off.

Will have a list ready by the end of this week

[desA]

Well nothing is for free and trust me alternatives at this point in time is BS!!! They are simply over priced and the power delivery is LESS than satisfactory.

Using alternative fuel like paraffin is like using gold as a conductor at the moment “it will work but damn!!! The cost!!!” Right now alternatives are more expensive than your “local ESKOM POWER”

What I'm referring to here is using a waste heat source to partially power a refrigerator, or a/c system. The parafin can be replaced with an alternative heat source.

This is doable at a very low electrical cost.

Have you worked out the kWh (energy) cost of all your electrical items? Try this, let's say over a month, then rank them. Begin tackling the top three asap. Slowly work your way down the list.

[tec0]

Honestly if I had to cut back on my cut backs I might as well just convert back to living in a cave? But that is the point I am making we are sacrificing our lifestyle to accommodate greed and I don’t feel it is right because, I pay for my water to be cleaned, I pay for my power and I pay for my home.

See Eskom is making it impossible for me to live, why because they cannot work with money???

Here is the real question, once all the new PowerStation’s are up and pumping power will we start to pay less for our power? NO they will keep it as high as possible...

See sun power cannot provide relieve it is really a fantasy that will end up costing you more then what you are paying now. Just look at the installation cost, maintenance cost and actual power delivery and you will find that yes you can drive a notebook but not much else.

See thanks to Eskom everything will get more expensive especially produce and meat... the truth is we are at their mercy and we need real power solutions. Sun power and wind power is totally useless when you look at the bigger picture.

[wynn]

And the same day as ESCOM get their 25% increase they tell the guys trying to use the Mozambique Current to generate free energy to piss off.

What really burns my bum, beside a four foot flame, it that they wont allow you to develop your own coastal system.

[Dave A]

Honestly if I had to cut back on my cut backs I might as well just convert back to living in a cave?

Damn nearly wet myself

[hendri.ehlers]

Kry jy krag van ESKOM af? Ja? Dan moet jy die lees!

Dit het onder ons aandag gekom dat kliënte by Eskom wat op die “Home Power Rate” is geen netwerk of dienste gelde betaal nie, ongeag die feit dat hul ook op kleinhoewes woon. Dus word die netwerk deur diegene wat op die sogenaamde “Landrate” is gesubsidieer. Ons het op aanbeveling van ‘n burgerregte organisasie 'n forum gestig wat hul misnoeë wil uitspreek oor dié beginsel van Eskom. Ons wil nie diegene wat reeds op “HOME POWER RATE” is benadeel nie, maar ons wil hul verseker ook nie subsidieer en/of ons self benadeel nie. Dit is ons strewe om gelyke regte/behandeling vir almal te bekom waar almal volgens ‘n eenvormige beginsel betaal.

Ons wil graag alle ESKOM kliënte uit nooi om by hierdie forum aan te sluit en hul bydrae te lewer oor hoe ons die probleem die hoof kan bied. Daar is geen koste hieraan verbonde om aan te sluit nie. Dis bloot 'n wyse waardeur 'n belangegroep hul mening lig om die pad vorentoe te beplan, en aksies indien nodig te ko-ordineer.

Gaan kyk na jou rekening , net onder jou meter lesing net regs van jou "PREMISE ID NUMBER" is "TARIFF NAME". As daar staan Land Rate 1,2,3 betaal jy tussen R600 en R800 meer per maand op jou rekening. Daar kan dalk nog ander tariewe ook wees, ons het dit op Eskom se webwerf probeer kry maar self met die hulp van kliëntediens kon ons dit nie opspoor nie.
Om diegene wat nie internet toegang het nie, nie in die skadu te laat nie, versoek ons vir die wat wel internet toegang het om hul op hoogte van sake te hou.
Ek wil u amper verseker dat ESKOM die feite stellings in die e-pos sal afmaak as bog, ek verseker jul egter dat dit nie is nie!
Stuur asb die e-pos aan almal wat hierby kan baat vind.
Die web adres is: www.evf.co.za (Energie Verbruikers Forum) Sluit aan ons het jou nodig!
Dankie
Die Kantoor
Energie Verbruikers Forum
Fax 0866622555
e-pos: admin@evf.co.za

[Dave A]

Good luck with the forum, Hendri.

[tec0]

Well Eskom is screwing everyone right now. Not just us the consumers but their own employees. Fact is Eskom had a few “costly mistakes” “new mistakes” that will take about half of 2011 to fix “if they are lucky” But they don’t train people commercially so they will slowly destroy their own reliability factor and their profits will be replaced with very heavy penalties. And we will end up picking up the bill again I am sure.

Still the employees at Eskom are suffering. The pressure is nearly unjustifiable they are the lowest paid artisans in the country and heavily understaffed and funny enough heavily “over managed”. I strange concept really... As shown on TV things is not what they seem at the moment.

[hendri.ehlers]

Kry jy krag van ESKOM af? Ja? Dan moet jy die lees!

Dit het onder ons aandag gekom dat kliënte by Eskom wat op die “Home Power Rate” is geen netwerk of dienste gelde betaal nie, ongeag die feit dat hul ook op kleinhoewes woon. Dus word die netwerk deur diegene wat op die sogenaamde “Landrate” is gesubsidieer. Ons het op aanbeveling van ‘n burgerregte organisasie 'n forum gestig wat hul misnoeë wil uitspreek oor dié beginsel van Eskom. Ons wil nie diegene wat reeds op “HOME POWER RATE” is benadeel nie, maar ons wil hul verseker ook nie subsidieer en/of ons self benadeel nie. Dit is ons strewe om gelyke regte/behandeling vir almal te bekom waar almal volgens ‘n eenvormige beginsel betaal.

Ons wil graag alle ESKOM kliënte uit nooi om by hierdie forum aan te sluit en hul bydrae te lewer oor hoe ons die probleem die hoof kan bied. Daar is geen koste hieraan verbonde om aan te sluit nie. Dis bloot 'n wyse waardeur 'n belangegroep hul mening lig om die pad vorentoe te beplan, en aksies indien nodig te ko-ordineer.

Gaan kyk na jou rekening , net onder jou meter lesing net regs van jou "PREMISE ID NUMBER" is "TARIFF NAME". As daar staan Land Rate 1,2,3 betaal jy tussen R600 en R800 meer per maand op jou rekening. Daar kan dalk nog ander tariewe ook wees, ons het dit op Eskom se webwerf probeer kry maar self met die hulp van kliëntediens kon ons dit nie opspoor nie.
Om diegene wat nie internet toegang het nie, nie in die skadu te laat nie, versoek ons vir die wat wel internet toegang het om hul op hoogte van sake te hou.
Ek wil u amper verseker dat ESKOM die feite stellings in die e-pos sal afmaak as bog, ek verseker jul egter dat dit nie is nie!
Stuur asb die e-pos aan almal wat hierby kan baat vind.
Die web adres is: www.evf.co.za (Energie Verbruikers Forum) Sluit aan ons het jou nodig!
Dankie
Die Kantoor
Energie Verbruikers Forum
Fax 0866622555
e-pos: admin@evf.co.za

Good, they are back online!

[gac]

This is a classic example of the vagaries and inefficiencies of a monopolistic state owned entity. No competition, no shareholder watchdog and zero accountability.

[tec0]

At this moment I am happy to report that my household consumes less than 300 watts and if the sun comes out my power consumption drops to an actual 126 watts. That is as low as I can go and still have fresh food.

So it is possible to consume near to no energy but does this help? What is the point in having access to power and we are not allowed to use it? I am planning to install solar panels so that it can drive the notebook and other systems. Basically the same solar panels you get for “camping” They are not as big and if you shop around you can pick them up cheaply.

But it is not a solution... New PowerStation’s is also not a solution as they are still burners in the end. Fusion it seems is our only long term solution but thanks to the green maniacs this is no longer a possibility.

As for Eskom, they treat their employees like crap, no real innovations nor training being done on their side. In short Eskom is probably the biggest tick I have ever seen... That said if Eskom goes the country goes with them so what can we do?

[Dave A]

Good, they are back online!

Nothing quite like losing all the content in a forum. What went wrong?

[Citizen X]

The thing that irks with the Eskom tariff increases is you know a big chunk of it is due to Eskom's own organisational inefficiencies.

The unnecessary road haulage of coal, the purchase of coal at international spot prices. Ultimately we pay for their bad management.

In corporate South Africa, a manager is accountable and responsible for his department or portfolio. There is a sense of urgency to meet KPI's. In most cases there is a performance agreement. Now this is not the case with ESKOM. Not only is there no sense of urgency by management at all levels of ESKOM but also no accountability. It doesn't really matter how poorly a manager performs, they still get to keep their jobs. Yesterday between 11:00 and 14:00 certain extensionsw in Lenasia had no electricity. ESKOm claims that load shedding hasn't started yet, but it sure seems like that to me.