How to cope with power outages while you’re away
Seems like load shedding is back. And with it, all types of power outages. We’re trying to ignore it, but the thing is… Come December, while we’re off making merry away from home, the power could very well go out and this shoots up your risk as a homeowner. Why? Oh gosh, thanks for asking. Well, a power outage could take out your house alarm or do some mischief to your electronics… Those are just 2 examples, but these are 2 of the most common things that happen during power outages and they lead to awful consequences.
At least when you’re home you can deal with it. But what if you’ve gone away? What if you’re on the beach, none the wiser about power outages and surges? What are you going to do? Huh?
Stop panicking. We’ve got you, boo. Here are some tips to help you cope with power outages while you’re away, living your best holiday life.
Get yourself some back-up
Seriously, there’s very little you can do a couple of hundred kms away from your house when the power goes out. That’s why you need to do a little prep before you leave. First, go ahead and make sure that your alarm, electronic gate, and garage door motor are all in tip-top condition. Secondly, invest in back-up batteries for these systems. And then lastly, please just make sure that your back-ups are fully functional and loaded.
A little tip from us to you is that your back-ups tend to last 6 to 8 hours when the power goes out, so you’ll need a trustworthy neighbour or friend to charge up your reserve batteries and hook them back up.
A different kind of back-up
Another good thing to do before you leave the house is to back up your data. If you’re the kind of person that stores important stuff on your computers and laptops (cat videos included) then you need to back-up your data on the Internet.
Get yourself into the cloud, baby.
Unplug your cables
Electric surges are part of the fun when it comes to power outages and these little sparky moments that precede the lights coming back on are the no. 1 causes of damage to equipment. That’s why you should think about unplugging electronic devices or equipment and switching these off at the wall before you leave home. This includes telephone cables, laptops, desktop computers, servers, and LCD screens.
Or actually, you could also install a surge protection device to lessen damage. That’s also a good solution.
Some vigilance is needed
Here’s something you might not have thought of… Load shedding timetables are open to the public, which means that criminals can cherry pick the opportune time to break-in. We already know that December is the time of year when crime increases, mostly because people tend to leave their homes for a spot of holiday refreshment. Think about how much easier it is for baddies when they know that your alarms are going to be down!
Our top tip, apart from the back-up batteries for your security measures, is for you to connect with a trusted neighbour, because they’ll be the 1s on your load shedding schedule or experiencing the same unplanned outage as your home. They’ll be the 1s to call on the fire department if an outage causes a fire in your home, because they’ll probs be the 1s to spot it first.
We suggest that you go round with a bottle of vino or some delicious treats and ask them if they’ll be home for the holidays and if they could keep an eye out on your property and check on your security systems’ back-up batteries. If you don’t have neighbours (or if they’ll be away too) you can ask family or friends that are sticking around to keep tabs on your home during outages.
Let the king help you out
Load shedding is super frustrating for every 1, but particularly homeowners who have lots to lose. What you need is the king’s royal home insurance to protect yourself against the terrible consequences of power outages, like burglaries and the like. We’ve got your back! So get a quote and join our kingdom today.
