It was all looking so good for load-shedding in 2024. Some of the lowest numbers of lights-out time in months and President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address suggested the worst of it was behind us.
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Unfortunately, that’s the reality of living in South Africa with load-shedding in 2024 – you can never turn your back on it. Boom, the first sustained spell of stage 6 load-shedding since November last year.
LOAD-SHEDDING IN 2024
Now is the weekend for my EcoFlow River 2 MAX home power station to come into its own. Last month it softened the blow when our substation blew up unexpectedly on a scorching hot evening. This time around we can work around the load-shedding schedule, including the mammoth four-hour slots that knock the stuffing out of any household.
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Size-wise, the EcoFlow River 2 MAX is a nicely proportioned home power supply. It weighs 7 kg but it’s easy to move around the house as required. I’m impressed at how well made it is. It’s not an eyesore wherever you leave it, and the display is clear and easy to understand. Best of all, it seems pretty tough. Truth be told, I left it outside for a short period of time as it started to drizzle and the wet made no impact at all. It’s a quality product.
KEEPING IT COOL
An important part of the EcoFlow River 2 MAX’s operation is staying cool at all times, especially in summer. Therefore, its cooling fan starts up not long after you unplug it from the wall socket. Noise-wise, it registers about 54 dB, which is the equivalent of a casual conversation between two people. You soon get used to it.
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Furthermore, I’m thoroughly impressed at how quickly the EcoFlow River 2 MAX can recharge items. I prefer to charge my cellphone, portable lights and other battery packs (we use several due to load-shedding in 2024) via the power supply because it’s faster than the wall socket. The battery pack itself takes just one-hour in quick recharge mode from nearly empty.
FOUR-HOUR CAKEWALK
So far, the four-hour slots of stage 6 load-shedding in 2024 are a cakewalk for the EcoFlow River 2 Max. The most common usage in our house is the television and laptop running at the same time. Perhaps with the portable fan and a cellphone charger added occasionally. There are times where we forget the power is out; that’s the benefit of the home power supply.
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With all these plugged in, the usage does not exceed 120 watts and the battery will last the full four hours, which is ideal. Go to the EcoFlow website HERE and pick up the 500W portable power supply for just R7 999. That’s a R5 000 saving from the original asking price of R12 999.
MEASURED USAGE
- LED lightbulb – 0.5 watt
- Cellphone charger – 10 watts
- Laptop charger – 25 watts
- Television – 30 watts
- Gaming console – 55 watts
- Toaster – 500 watts
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Are you ready to crush load-shedding in 2024? If you have an EcoFlow product, be sure to share your thoughts and experiences with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.
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