Stop Power Outages from Impacting on Your Business

We may be enjoying a small reprieve from load shedding at the moment, but winter is coming and with that, the inevitable excuses as to why we’re having power outages. Many businesses are limping along, reverting to old-fashioned and ineffective methods and tools to avoid missing sales. However, in a world where we rely more and more on technology, we need access to reliable electricity in order to function optimally.

Stage 2 load shedding costs the productive economy approximately R2 billion per day, or R1 billion per stage, according to Chris Yelland, an energy analyst. Until the end of 2018, load shedding cost South Africa in excess of R1.4 trillion, according to Ted Blom, a senior energy expert.

Annabel Bishop of Investec predicted that an extreme period of load shedding in early 2019 could wipe up to 50% off the value of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, which is approximately $350 billion (R4.8 trillion). That means that the country could lose as much as $175 billion (R1.59 trillion).
 

Load Shedding and Your Business

Most businesses depend on power to maintain their operations. General power outages and load shedding result in unplanned downtime, which can cost your company a lot of money. It can be difficult to recover from that. That’s why it is important to prepare for such situations.

In addition to load shedding, power outages can be caused by the weather (the leading cause of power outages) such as floods, tornadoes, wildfires, storms and hurricanes. Animals can cause damage to infrastructure, and are another frequent culprit. Other common issues causing power outages are cable theft, vehicles that crash into power lines and other forms of equipment failure.
 

Damage to Equipment

When power is restored after a power outage or load shedding incident, there may be spikes / power surges that can cause your equipment to malfunction. An electrical spike is a temporary increase in the electrical supply voltage and/or current. Sudden spikes in electricity (or power surges) can damage or destroy appliances in the blink of an eye. And with more electronics in our homes and businesses than ever, that can be costly. This is a big problem when it comes to your business and sales equipment.
 

Even when you don’t lose equipment due to load shedding, you’re still losing money in:
 

• Labour costs and decreased productivity
• Unturned inventory
• Loss of stored computer data
• Lost revenues (by being unable to use electrical equipment, Point of Sale Systems, etc.)
• And more.

Some of the companies that are hit hardest by load shedding, include financial corporations, medical facilities, data centers, and wholesale and retail operations.

Be prepared for the next wave of load shedding and power outages by investing in a diesel-powered generator from Multilec Generator Services. Request a free generator quote or contact us to speak with a representative.