While our national government has developed the appropriate legislation and policies to promote the uptake of solar power usage with tax rebates on solar panels, little has been done to promote the roll-out of smart geyser devices, capable of decreasing electricity consumption in our homes by up to 30-40%.
The installation of smart geyser devices on our electric geysers allows for user monitoring and control via an accompanying app.
Beyond energy monitoring, these devices have the added benefit of detecting potential water leaks, drastically reducing the risk of burst geysers, thereby decreasing costly repairs and elevated insurance premiums.
A smart geyser device, including installation, costs approximately R3 300. A household with 4 people will, on average, spend around
R1 000 a month on their electricity bill, but with a smart geyser device you can decrease that bill by securing R300 – R400 of cost savings monthly due to maximised energy efficiency. Ultimately, this means that the smart geyser device will pay for itself in just eight months.
Our new “national government of unity” would be well advised to subsidise the roll-out of these devices to all 7 million electric geysers in South Africa. That, or offer a tax rebate on the device.
* Mark Allewell, Founder and CEO at Sensor Networks.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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