Best of Johannesburg

How to Slash Your Joburg Electricity Bill This Winter (Without Actually Freezing)

Published

3 months ago

June 10, 2025

Chiraag

Installing a geyser blanket, white hot water cylinder, DIY home insulation, saving money on electricity. Laying ceiling insulation rolls, in a home attic, preventing heat loss, reducing winter heating costs. A smart plug in a wall socket, heater connected, smart home tech, monitoring energy use to save money, Joburg ETC

Let’s be real. That first sharp, highveld winter morning has a unique way of making you feel two things at once: a deep love for your duvet, and a cold dread for the electricity bill that’s about to hit your bank account. Every year, we brace for the annual tariff hike, and every winter, we watch in horror as our consumption spikes. It’s a frustrating cycle that makes staying warm feel like a luxury.

But this isn’t a story about suffering in the cold. This is a survival guide. It’s about taking back control and stopping the financial bleed without having to live in a state of permanent frostbite. We’ve distilled the best, no-nonsense advice to help you save serious money on electricity this winter.

Also read: Water Shedding vs Maintenance in Joburg: How to Spot the Difference

Pinpoint the Real Money Drains

Before you start a war with every lightbulb in your house, let’s get strategic. In most Joburg homes, two culprits are quietly responsible for the lion’s share of a high winter bill: your geyser and your space heaters.

Your geyser is often the single biggest energy user in the entire home, working silently around the clock. Then there’s space heating. That power-hungry heater running for hours every night can add hundreds of rands to your monthly bill – a cost that adds up alarmingly fast. By targeting these two energy vampires first, you’re already winning the biggest part of the battle.

Your First Line of Defence: The Smartest DIY Investments

You wouldn’t try to heat the whole of Emmarentia Dam, so stop trying to heat a leaky house. A little bit of DIY is the single best way to save money in the long run.

Insulate Your Ceiling: Heat rises. If your ceiling isn’t insulated, you’re paying to keep the cosmos warm. This is, without a doubt, the #1 most effective investment you can make to cut heating costs permanently.
Give Your Geyser a Jacket: A geyser blanket is cheap, easy to install, and works wonders by trapping heat, meaning the element switches on far less often. While you’re at it, wrap the first 1.5 metres of hot water pipes leaving the geyser – it makes a surprising difference.
Plug the Leaks: That tiny, chilly draft from a window frame or under a door is your hard-earned cash escaping into the void. Get some weatherstripping or caulk from your local hardware store and spend a weekend sealing up those gaps.

A person looking stressed at a high electricity bill, winter clothing, saving money on utilities, Johannesburg. Rolls of ceiling insulation, home energy efficiency, reducing heating costs, DIY project to save money. Smartphone controlling home appliances, smart home app interface, energy saving technology, reducing electricity use, Joburg ETC

Image 1: iStock

The No-Spend Wins: Change Your Habits, Change Your Bill

The best things in life (and saving money) are often free. These habit changes cost nothing but will show up on your bill immediately.

Tame Your Geyser: Your geyser’s thermostat doesn’t need to be set to “volcano.” Lowering it to a perfectly comfortable 55-60°C slashes its energy use while remaining hot enough to prevent bacteria growth.
Hunt the Phantom Load: Your TV, microwave, and chargers are still sipping power on standby. Get into the habit of unplugging them or using a power strip to cut their power completely when not in use.
Embrace the Sun: Joburg is blessed with winter sun. Open your north-facing curtains and blinds the moment the sun is up to get that free heat. Close them as soon as it gets dark to trap the warmth inside.
Rethink Laundry: Unless you’re dealing with serious grime, a cold-water wash gets clothes just as clean and saves all the energy needed to heat the water.

Outsmart the System with a Little Tech

It’s 2025 – it’s time to use technology to fight back against rising costs. Smart home gear has gone from a gimmick to a crucial money-saving tool.

Know What You’re Using: A smart plug does more than just switch things on and off. It can show you exactly how much electricity that power-hungry heater is really using. This knowledge helps you make smarter decisions.
Automate and Forget: A geyser timer or a smart switch is a non-negotiable. Set it to heat water for an hour or two before you need it in the morning and evening. Paying to heat water while you sleep or are at work is just throwing money away.
Protect Your Appliances: Our grid can be… temperamental. Power surges after outages can destroy expensive electronics. Many smart plugs and devices offer voltage protection, automatically shielding your TV, router, and fridge when the power is unstable.

Winter in Joburg is beautiful, but it doesn’t have to be brutally expensive. By being strategic, plugging the leaks, and using a bit of modern tech, you can turn this survival guide into your victory plan. It’s time to show that electricity bill who’s boss.