ly reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom couldAt the time of writing this article, I sit and think back of my childhood days when I grew up on a farm without electricity. I still remember the days when my mom cooked on the big black coal stove in the kitchen that also served as a heater during the cold winters. As kids we used to get dressed in the kitchen as we warmed up our clothes on the doors of the coal stove trying to fight the 0 and sometimes sub zero temperatures outside.

We also used an anthracite stove in the living room, which worked overtime in winter. Flipping a switch for lights did not exist. We used paraffin and gas lamps alternated with candles in the bedrooms. Television did not exist and we listened to stories on the radio after dinner as a family with quality conversations and lots of laughs before it was bedtime. Our fridge/freezer also used gas.

Having grown up in the Bushveld, a place of extremes, we did not only face minus 0 temperatures in winter, but had to deal with extreme heat in summer. I clearly remember the days when we, as kids took an afternoon nap on the cement floors in our house, as it was the only cool place (Bushveld summers easily reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom couldressed in the kitchen as we warmed up our clothes on the doors of the coal stove trying to fight the 0 and sometimes sub zero temperatures outside.

We also used an anthracite stove in the living room, which worked overtime in winter. Flipping a switch for lights did not exist. We used paraffin and gas lamps alternated with candles in the bedrooms. Television did not exist and we listened to stories on the radio after dinner as a family with quality conversations and lots of laughs before it was bedtime. Our fridge/freezer also used gas.

Having grown up in the Bushveld, a place of extremes, we did not only face minus 0 temperatures in winter, but had to deal with extreme heat in summer. I clearly remember the days when we, as kids took an afternoon nap on the cement floors in our house, as it was the only cool place (Bushveld summers easily reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom could used paraffin and gas lamps alternated with candles in the bedrooms. Television did not exist and we listened to stories on the radio after dinner as a family with quality conversations and lots of laughs before it was bedtime. Our fridge/freezer also used gas.

Having grown up in the Bushveld, a place of extremes, we did not only face minus 0 temperatures in winter, but had to deal with extreme heat in summer. I clearly remember the days when we, as kids took an afternoon nap on the cement floors in our house, as it was the only cool place (Bushveld summers easily reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom couldp in the Bushveld, a place of extremes, we did not only face minus 0 temperatures in winter, but had to deal with extreme heat in summer. I clearly remember the days when we, as kids took an afternoon nap on the cement floors in our house, as it was the only cool place (Bushveld summers easily reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom couldly reach temperatures of 40+ degrees in summer). No air conditioners, or fans even as we did not have electricity.

A couple of years later my dad upgraded to gas. I remember some winters where the gas froze in the pipes outside and we had to warm up the pipes so that my mom could cook breakfast on the gas stove.

It was only around 1980 that we first got electricity. All of a sudden we had the luxury of lights, deep freezer and Television.

I think the energy crises in Cape Town and other cities in South Africa came as a big shock to many people as they never experienced having to cope without electricity. Whether we are hot or cold, we just flip a switch and do not suffer any discomfort. One thing that remained from my childhood days is a saving awareness, which I think many modern children and even Adults lack, and this brings me to the following points in this article.

There are some basic things, which we all could do to save electricity:

1. Switch off lights when you leave the room.
2. Use energy saving light bulbs where possible (this will also cut your electricity bill)
3. Turn off the TV and Hi-fi when you are not using it. Leaving it on stand-by uses energy.
4. Rather use the microwave than your stove. Did you know that microwave cooking saves up to 15-20% energy?
5. When cooking on the stove ensure that vegetables are covered in water and cover sa