Rent to Own IT Equipment to use during Loadshedding
Using Rent to Own IT equipment to beat load shedding and lower business costs
As Eskom’s coal fleet deteriorates, 2022 has been the year with the highest load-shedding in South Africa.
Eskom reduced power production by 2,276 GWh during the first half of 2022, as reported by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). For every load shedding stage, daily lost economic production amounts to around R700 million. The CSIR placed the monetary loss at between R60 billion and R120 billion in 2019.
Alexander Forbes economists estimate that Stage 6 load shedding costs South Africa about R4 billion per day due to lost data, broken internet connections, missed deadlines as employees are unable to finish jobs on time, and disruptions in supply chains due to the less manufacturing production.
Load shedding is here to stay, so if you’re spending thousands of rands on a mobile hotspot simply to stay connected, you might want to look into better alternatives. Rent to own IT equipment can help you beat loadshedding and lower your expenses.
Convenient as it is to use a smartphone as a mobile hotspot, doing so over a local network incurs high costs. Overheating a gadget can reduce its efficiency, and draining the battery through repeated charging can reduce its lifespan.
Assessing the different types of IT equipment to rent during loadshedding
Buy or rent a UPS for your router
If you want to keep your essential electronics running during load shedding, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is the way to go. It works great for keeping a desktop computer or router running so you don’t lose any unsaved work if the power goes out. Before purchasing, make sure you know how long it will last and that it will provide the necessary amount of power for your device or devices, or whether you only need a brief period of power to properly shut down a computer after a power outage.
Better yet, you may want to hire or rent rather than buy a UPS to save cost in the short-term and not have the capital outlay needed for a purchase. At the moment, UPS systems are one of the best short term power supplies however their lifespan is not the most reputable thus renting keeps your costs the same because can get a new UPS without needing to pay for more.
The UPS should be connected to a wall outlet, and any devices requiring backup power should be connected directly to the UPS. A UPS connected to your router can prevent you from incurring the high fees of mobile hotspotting if you have a home (uncapped) fibre connection.
Inverter with batteries
Consider purchasing an inverter if you wish to connect more than just your router, such as a television, game consoles, smart devices, or electronic equipment. You’ll need a battery for this, so look for products that come with them. If you have the means to do so, you may also have the batteries charged by solar energy. They have a lengthy duration of power delivery and can manage high currents of electricity.
Generators
The best option for larger power requirements is a generator, which can generate enough electricity to run your complete small business, not just individual gadgets.
A generator will cost you more, will make a lot of noise, and will need fuel. Also, they’re really big, so make sure you have room for them.
As with the UPS, hiring a generator may be the better option to keep your business cost low.
Wi-Fi dongle
Any big retailer will have a WiFi dongle for your phone or tablet. You can get a MiFi dongle as part of a data-only plan, or you can buy a separate dongle that will keep you connected for four hours on a single charge.
In general, the more data you buy at once, the cheaper each individual gigabyte will be. You should know that an LTE data plan will not allow you to make phone calls or receive text messages from on-demand services. This is an additional backup data connection you may keep on during load shedding.
Payment methods
It is a good idea to have backup card machines ready to accept payments during loadshedding. Accepting payments using Yoco card machines works well. These gadgets require ahead-of-time charging and internet access (possible through hotspots and cellular data). They make it easy to take credit card payments even if the power goes off.
Should more information be required on the type of devices where businesses can rent to own IT equipment, then see below to contact ASG.
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