It is no doubt that over the past few months things have gone from bad to worse with respect to the current load management Ghanaians have to endure. With a 12-hour power on (SOR) and a 24-hour power off (DUM) schedule our homes and workplaces are experiencing, most of us here are getting frustrated about the DUMSOR situation.
However, even in the midst of all the unpleasant circumstances, YOU CAN SURVIVE.
What you can and should do is to PLAN and order your life in order to make things easy for you. Look at your environment and prioritise whatever must be prioritised. If you do have a gen-set as a backup where you are then things are a bit easier for you as compared to those who haven't.
Check out these take home lessons on how you can survive the DUMSOR regime.
1. Don't procrastinate.
In these times of load shedding or load management as some want to put it, the last thing to consider doing is procrastinating when there's a lot to be done. Get doing what must be done! Get those tasks off your checklist and free your shoulder! You can start by tackling the ones needing electricity so you don't have cause to worry when ECG does their thing. LOL. Get DOING! Get to work!
2. Switch off your appliances at bedtime.
Yes. It is ideal to turn off your phone and all other electrical appliances & electronic devices you won't need before going to bed. Think of the power you could save for usage the next day. Even when you have to keep your phone on for the sake of emergencies, do consider turning of your device's data connection (which can sap a whole lot of your battery power when on). That will save you from all the non-urgent notifications that could disrupt your sleep. However, if your community is scheduled to go off the following morning you might want to charge your devices.
3. Iron your clothes in bulk.
Most of us know this but how many of us actually do it? Getting all the clothes you'll be adorning over the week (even if for 3 days) pressed can do you a lot of good. Think of the extra time you'll have on your hands for other pressing tasks on your mind right now. If you don't already have this in your plan, you might want to give it a try and watch the results.
4. Get extra batteries.
This may sound a bit weird but many would agree with me that it works. Getting for yourself an extra battery for some of your electronic devices can prove to save you from future frustrations over DUMSOR. For those of you on the move always this will really be of help to you.
An example of a power bank
5. Get yourself power banks.
These awesome devices have proven beyond doubt that they are helpful. They would always come in handy when you least expect so why don't you rather lay hands on them to get a better experience?
A man fixing solar panels on a rooftop of a building. Credit: citifmonline.com
6. Switch to solar energy.
There are innovative ways to handle the current power crisis. There has been the talk of exploring other options like the wind and the sun to generate power for the country. Those who've been on solar power can testify of its effectiveness despite the costs involved. If you can afford to have solar panels installed at your home or workplace then you might want to speak to solar experts and get panels installed for a better experience.
The Nokia 1202 is an example of a not-so-smart phone
7. Get a “Yam”.
Sounds weird right? Yes. Do get a “Yam”. Well, if you're wondering what I mean let me let you in. A “Yam” according to a recent TV Commercial by one of Ghana's largest Telecommunication firms, is a mobile phone that is bereft of the major features of a smartphone. It cannot Facebook, Tweet, WhatsApp and post photos to Instagram, one of the world's largest photo-sharing site. It's what I call a “not-so-smart phone”.
It is the trend now to use the latest of Samsung, Apple or Nokia smartphones but a “yam” could actually be of immense help in these times of DUMSOR. A “yam” would most likely have a torchlight (which you will definitely need in the dark), a long lasting battery (that could probably take you beyond 2 days) and a radio app to keep you tuned in to your favourite radio stations. It's a great backup to have. Don't drop that yam! LOL
I believe the current crisis in the energy sector has taught us all to plan and we must do so effectively so we can survive this period. Me ma wo “DUMSOR”. LOL :-D
What other ways can you think of to beat the DUMSOR?
Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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