Load-shedding and your spaza: protecting fridges, stock and alarms
Load-shedding hurts spaza shops twice: fridges warm up and alarms go off. Here's what actually works, ranked by cost.
Cold chain: keep the fridges going
- Keep the door shut. A closed fridge holds temperature for about 4 hours. An open one loses cold in minutes. Put a sign on it during load-shedding.
- Fill empty space with 2L water bottles. A full fridge stays cold longer than an empty one. Frozen bottles work even better.
- Get a chest freezer for cold drinks. They keep temperature for 24 hours or more when full. Cheaper than an inverter for the same effect.
- Small inverter with a deep-cycle battery. R3 000 to R6 000 buys you enough to run one fridge and lights through most 2-hour slots.
Alarms and security
This is where most break-ins happen. When power goes off, older alarms disarm and the siren stops. Cameras go dark. Criminals know the schedule as well as you do.
- Check that your alarm has a working battery backup. Most last 4 to 8 hours.
- Replace the alarm battery every 2 years. They die faster than people think.
- Put your cameras on a small UPS. Even 30 minutes of recording is enough.
- Move cash and airtime out of the shop at closing time.
Card machines and airtime
Most card machines run on mobile data and a small battery. Keep the charger in the shop and top the battery up between slots. If Yoco or SnapScan works on your phone, use that as a backup.
What insurance covers
Stock insurance covers you for spoiled fridge stock and for theft that happens while the alarm is out. It does not pay for the electricity bill or the inverter. Check that your policy specifically mentions power failure and spoilage. Vuleka Insure includes both.