NATIONAL NEWS - With overcoming the current challenges to meet South Africa’s energy needs recognised as a national priority, Eskom’s next Energy Efficient Lighting Exchange Programme will play a key role in reducing demand pressure on the national power grid and helping to keep the lights on.
10 Million energy saving lamps are to be distributed in all nine provinces between mid-November 2015 and 31 March 2017.
• Western Cape - 800 000
• KwaZulu-Natal - 3 000 000
• Eastern Cape – 500 000
• Free State – 500 000
• Northern Cape – 200 000
Only selected areas in the five provinces will receive CFLs. These areas received CLFs during the 2006/7 Energy Efficient Lighting Exchange Programme; their lamps are now spent and must be replaced to maintain the reduction in electricity demand that was achieved by the 2006/7 roll-out.
Demand savings during the first phase are estimated at 155MW (megawatts), enough to power more than 2 towns the size of Stellenbosch.
To date, over 64 million CFLs have been distributed to homes across South Africa, making it one of the biggest energy saving initiatives of its kind in the world.
Eskom-accredited installers - wearing bibs saying “Energy Efficient Lighting Exchange Programme” and carrying Eskom ID cards – will be going door-to-door to swap old style light bulbs and spent CFLs that are in use for free. Households will receive leaflets informing them of when installers will be in their area while additional information on the programme will be broadcast on community radio stations in the province.
Also be on the look-out for Safety and Security Information Points a week prior to the scheduled installations in your area. These points will show you how the bibs and the Eskom ID cards look and will also share information on the safe handling and disposal of new and spent CFLs.
With installation teams having to access homes to do the installations, households should take every precaution to ensure their personal safety - only representatives dressed in clearly marked bibs and carrying Eskom ID cards should be allowed to enter your home. Additional safety measures built into the programme are briefing sessions with neighbourhood watch organisations as well as South African Police stations in your area.
• Contact the Eskom Call Centre on 08600 37566 or visit www.eskom.co.za/idm for full information on the areas to be covered in the Western Cape.
The leaflets informing households of when installers will be in their area will also contain important information on how to safely handle CFLs:
• It is advisable to store new and used CFLs in a non-breakable container or plastic bag – they contain about 5mg of mercury that is almost used up by the time the lamp is ready for disposal.
• Care should be taken to not break a CFL.
• Spent lamps can be disposed of at participating retailers in your area who offer a take-back service and at sign-posted eWaste sites. You can also use a municipal collection service for hazardous waste, which includes batteries, paint and motor oil.
Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe: “The Energy Efficient Lighting Exchange Programme is an important tool in Eskom’s drive to save energy and is structured to have your safety and security as the first and foremost priority. Thank you to the Western Cape households for participating. The programme allows you to save electricity and money and gives you an opportunity to make a significant contribution towards reducing pressure on the national electricity grid.”
