South African insurers recommend that the best way to protect your electrical appliances from load-shedding damage is to unplug them before the power goes off and reconnect them a while after power has returned.
“At King Price, we don’t prescribe specific surge protectors or switches. Anything that’s SABS-approved can be used, as long as it’s correctly and professionally installed if necessary,” he said. “Over the last 8 months, we’ve seen an increase of more than 27% in claims for loss and damage to buildings, home contents, and portable possessions due to power surges,” said Van Vuuren.
“This is not all, though; we have seen an increase in motor vehicle accidents due to traffic lights not working and also due to streetlights not working at night.” “Load-shedding will be with us for some time. Apart from the damage it causes due to the unreliability of electricity, the alternative fuels that get used also have their risks,” he said.“Be careful with gas appliances as they naturally lead to higher risk of fire.”
“At King Price, we continue to cover our clients for loss and damage caused by power surges due to load-shedding, but there’s no cover for grid interruption,” he said.