Load-shedding has forced a KwaZulu-Natal welfare body for the elderly to turn to solar energy in the face of an impending tariff hike.
The Association for the Aged (Tafta), which provides care and accommodation to more than 2,000 pensioners and supports a further 3,500 in Durban communities, is battling to keep its head above water with mounting energy costs.
“With 15% of its total operating expenses being spent on municipal services, Tafta will soon be implementing solar energy in stages at our various facilities,” said CEO Femada Shamam.
She said the NPO’s expenditure on municipal costs stood at a “staggering R12.8m in the last financial year. This figure excludes the cost of fuel to power generators during load-shedding and power outages, which have been on the rise in recent months.
“Not only are our elders affected by the lack of constant power supply, but our organisation faces increasing expenses by the hike in prices due to inflation.
“Caring for elders living with specialised needs such as dependency on oxygen is also made difficult with the intermittent supply of electricity and increasing costs of generator fuel,” said Shamam.
KZN welfare group for elderly turns to solar power in face of blackouts and tariff hikes
Image: 123RF/sondem
Load-shedding has forced a KwaZulu-Natal welfare body for the elderly to turn to solar energy in the face of an impending tariff hike.
The Association for the Aged (Tafta), which provides care and accommodation to more than 2,000 pensioners and supports a further 3,500 in Durban communities, is battling to keep its head above water with mounting energy costs.
“With 15% of its total operating expenses being spent on municipal services, Tafta will soon be implementing solar energy in stages at our various facilities,” said CEO Femada Shamam.
She said the NPO’s expenditure on municipal costs stood at a “staggering R12.8m in the last financial year. This figure excludes the cost of fuel to power generators during load-shedding and power outages, which have been on the rise in recent months.
“Not only are our elders affected by the lack of constant power supply, but our organisation faces increasing expenses by the hike in prices due to inflation.
“Caring for elders living with specialised needs such as dependency on oxygen is also made difficult with the intermittent supply of electricity and increasing costs of generator fuel,” said Shamam.
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She said to lessen costs and cope with disruptions, Tafta decided to implement solar power at one of its homes.
“We hope to roll out this initiative to all Tafta buildings in a step towards decreasing our organisational carbon footprint,” said Shamam.
“While inflation and tariff hikes increase expenses for the organisation, the constant dip in power supply puts financial and physical strain on its beneficiaries, many of whom only receive a pension of R1,980 as their main income.”
One resident, Mogie Naidoo, said: “My food is all spoiling in the fridge due to load-shedding. I am a diabetic and heart patient and in this heatwave I cannot put my fan on. It is affecting my health.”
Shamam said while the implementation of solar energy would provide some relief to the exorbitant municipal costs, allowing for more financial allocation towards care for the elderly, it would also feed into Tafta's objective of adopting eco-friendly operations, while continuing to improve the quality of their residents' lives.
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