Or, you could just go for the 'Hippy Option' One of the YouTube Channels that I watch on a semi-regular basis is 'Undecided with Matt Ferrell'. In his latest video, "The Hidden Problem With Home Batteries", Matt details how he actually loses money on his home battery setup in a 1 for 1 net metering situation in the state of Massachusetts. Matt is a bit of an uber nerd when it comes to making decisions - not only does he over research but he continues to do so by monitoring and reporting back on his purchases, in detail and well after the date of purchase. In some ways he extolls the BA Systems Energy Management mantra of; "If you can measure it, you can manage it!" BUT, the bottom line when watching such videos from another part of the world is that every country, province, metropolitan area and utility supplier has different ways that they handle charges for electricity and grid connection charges. The quick take away for South Africa is somewhere in the following: Financial efficiency may shift positively if utilities transition away from 1:1 net metering or introduce Time-of-Use (TOU) rate structures. Under TOU rates, storing cheap daytime energy to discharge during expensive peak hours makes batteries considerably more financially viable. In fact Matt estimates that a TOU tariff may impact him directly as follows: From minus $200 per year to between $170 and $800 plus in savings per year. Again - efficient management of use is the key. As a consumer in South Africa there are three main areas to consider: Does my supplier offer Net Metering? What is the proportion (1:1 2:1 etc)? What are the Time of Use Tariffs for each portion? Of course the real reason why South African consumers install home batteries is really an emotional response to an Eskom failure - loadshedding provided the impetus. Now, if Eskom was superbly efficient with a 100% uptime then we could forget about that emotional response and just use Grid Tie Solar - …
Let’s Chat About Special Needs Children (And My Special School Friend)
As a second time around parent to two Special Needs boys - one with mild Autism and one with ADHD deluxe I had a very rude (and earth shattering) awakening to this genre of education. My first two children excelled at traditional schools and went on to honours, masters and jobs that set them up for life. My second time around sons have enabled me to find the depths of patience that I never knew existed. Admittedly they turned my life around - the first major change was getting used to being woken up at 4:00 am day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year. Thankfully that has eased off dramatically and sleep deprivation is slowly being cancelled. Parents with Special Needs children have major added expenses in their lives - therapy, counselling, special schooling, medications that all result in tens of thousands of rands more per month than a comparable child in a traditional school. Try R9000 a month per child for schooling that offers one teacher per less than 10 children or over a thousand rand a month for chronic medication that NO private medical aid or government dispensary will cover and you start to see why special needs parents are 'heads down' and focused on surviving and creating an environment for their children that will allow them to thrive and join society in a positive manner when they leave school. The Saints of Elsen: My school mate, Mark Barclay, is the Headmaster at Elsen Academy and, as I say to him every time we chat; "Mark you are a saint with patience exceeding that of Job!" Imagine a few hundred special needs children under your care and you will understand why Mark and his dedicated staff are candidates for sainthood. Sainthood is probably an apt term as the Elsen Academy is presently housed in one of Ken Denton's buildings - the old Holy Rosary Convent, slap bang in the Central area. Now, Central has lost it's charm and feeling of safety as the drug dealers and prostitutes roam Bird Street - not …
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Shocking NMB Water Waste Woes: Is the Municipality Drowning in Apathy?
South Africans and thirsty Nelson Mandela Bay residents, the numbers are in, and they paint a critical picture of Nelson Mandela Bay's water supply. Whilst one significant dam level has increased, the biggest leak isn’t in the Western Region; it's in our municipal infrastructure. Here are the facts: 65% of Nelson Mandela Bay's water comes from the Gariep Dam, which saw rising levels throughout 2025. Nelson Mandela Bay has a TOTAL reliance on external water sources (Free State and Sarah Baartman Districts). 35% of the municipalities water comes from dams to the west, four of which fall within the Sarah Baartman District. BUT... 60% of that water is lost BEFORE it reaches consumers taps due to municipal infrastructure failure. What does that mean? The municipality is responsible for wasting 223 Million Liters per day (MLD). That is equivalent to losing 90 OLYMPIC-SIZED SWIMMING POOLS DAILY. We are importing water from across the country, only for more than half of it to disappear through broken pipes. We cannot afford this waste. How We Fight Back: We must turn this data into collective action. We can't wait for the municipality to fix it; we have to develop our own pressure map. Join the Discussion: What is the water pressure like in your street? Have you reported a leak with zero feedback? Report the Leaks: Share your municipal reference number on the forum. We use this data to escalate entire neighborhoods, bypassing the call center queue. Don't just watch the 90 Olympic size pools drain daily. Take control. Join the MyNMB Forum to express your feelings, share solutions and vent! #NelsonMandelaBay #Gqeberha #NMBWaterCrisis #ServiceDelivery #CommunityAction #TheMyNMBWay Infographic: Links: MyNMB Forum NMB Drought Status: The Big Con …
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Beat The Electricity Price Hike With a Shelly 1 Mini Gen4: Small Form Factor, Big Control
Specifically engineered for tight spaces, the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 is the world’s smallest smart switch. Its ultra-compact size makes it the ideal solution for South African 2x4 or 4x4 wall boxes, where space is often at a premium. With households scrambling to save money on electricity costs ahead of Eskom's looming price hike many are turning to Solar Systems as a solution. The concerns with Solar are mainly around cost to install and speed of installation. The principle around saving electricity is a simple one; "If you can measure it, you can manage and control it!" Shelly Devices: Shelly Devices also offer you a very cost effective way to constantly measure your consumption - on an entire premises OR single device basis - via your smartphone and WITHOUT ongoing monthly connection costs. Your device, your data, your privacy - sorted. Whether you are automating a lighting circuit, a small fountain pump, or a gate motor, the Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 provides full smart functionality without requiring a major electrical overhaul. Despite its size, it supports the latest Gen4 hardware, offering faster processing, improved Wi-Fi stability, and Matter compatibility for the future. Why Shelly 1 Mini Gen4: Retrofit Friendly: Fits behind almost any existing wall switch. Dry Contacts: Supports a wide range of voltages (AC and DC) for versatile applications. Scripting: Run local scripts directly on the device for advanced "If-This-Then-That" logic. The Shelly 1 Mini Gen4 is for the smart home enthusiast who wants Matter and Zigbee compatibility without the bulk. It is perfect for lighting circuits, garage door triggers, and small appliance automation where space is at a premium. Descriptive words: Mini Smart Switch, Retrofit Home Automation, Shelly 1 Mini Gen4, Smart Lighting South Africa, Authorized Shelly Reseller. Why Buy Shelly Products From an Authorised Reseller and Installer such as Stratlec? As an Authorized Shelly Reseller, Stratlec …
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Beat The Electricity Price Hike With a Shelly Pro 1PM: The Professional Single Phase Energy Monitor
With households scrambling to save money on electricity costs ahead of Eskom's looming price hike many are turning to Solar Systems as a solution. The concerns with Solar are mainly around cost to install and speed of installation. The principle around saving electricity is a simple one; "If you can measure it, you can manage and control it!" Shelly Devices: Shelly Devices offer you a very cost effective way to constantly measure your consumption and control it - on an entire premises OR single device basis - via your smartphone and WITHOUT ongoing monthly connection costs. Your device, your data, your privacy - sorted. Take absolute control of your electricity bill with the Shelly Pro 1PM. Designed for the professional environment and high-demand South African households, this DIN-rail mountable 1-phase energy meter provides 1% billing accuracy. In the Nelson Mandela Bay area, crossing into the "Block 3" tariff will spike your costs to R4.57 per unit (ecl. VAT). The Shelly Pro 1PM allows you to track consumption in real-time, identifying exactly which phase or appliance is pushing you toward that expensive 500kWh threshold. The Shelly Pro 1PM is the gold standard for automating the single biggest energy consumer in your home: the geyser. Capable of switching up to 16A (3.5kW), this compact relay fits directly into your existing isolator box or DB board. Unlike traditional mechanical timers, the Plus 1PM provides precise power measurement, allowing you to see exactly how much each shower or bath is costing you. By automating your geyser to heat during off-peak hours and utilizing "thermal mass" strategies, you can significantly reduce your monthly consumption and avoid high-tier municipal penalties. Why Shelly Pro1 PM: Overpower Protection: Integrated temperature and power sensors for peace of mind. Advanced Scheduling: Create complex 7-day schedules or use "Sunrise/Sunset" logic. Connectivity: Works via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth—no …
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An Alternative to Tanked Water Supply
In South Africa, the reliance on tanked water delivery has significant negative implications for both the environment and public health. As communities depend on plastic containers for this essential resource, the growing accumulation of plastic waste contributes to pollution, harming ecosystems and wildlife. Moreover, the emissions generated from frequent water delivery trucks exacerbate our carbon footprint, further jeopardizing our environment. This unsustainable practice not only strains our natural resources but also poses health risks associated with untreated water. Instead of continuing on this path, we must advocate for sustainable solutions like Carocell Water Purification Systems. By investing in effective water purification technologies, we can ensure access to clean, safe drinking water while minimizing plastic waste and reducing harmful emissions. For more information on how Carocell can transform water access in your community, visit www.carocell.africa . Images: Video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiF62O_BVvJ-q3ZokuNJPRw An Alternative to Tanked Water Supply CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. Links: Boilerplate and Editor's Notes: More Info on An Alternative to Tanked Water Supply here: https://www.carocell.africa/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/108587966/ Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/louise-wessels-b16037302_in-south-africa-the-reliance-on-tanked-water-activity-7416754884722638849-d684 …
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Why Solar Salespeople Are Compared to Snake Oil Salesman of Old
I think back to the first online adverts that I used to see for renewable energy systems like Solar Panels and wonder if they were the reason for a lot of scepticism. Those adverts promised free electricity without mentioning the investment needed to generate said free electricity. Now to the uninitiated the word 'free' conjures up easy street life with no worries and no special skills required. I recall also the start of loadshedding 1.0 in South Africa - the number of quotations that I did every day was simply horrendous. Almost as horrendous as the strike rate of less than 1%. I tried mightily to increase the strike rate by pre-qualifying client enquiries and warning prospective clients that in order to kick Eskom to touch they would need to spend - in those days - a minimum of R340 000 if they wanted battery storage of 14 kW plus an inverter and solar panels. But, the desire to get FREE electricity blinded them to the real expenses. Our country missed a really good opportunity to get rid of loadshedding much sooner if only they had heavily promoted my 'hippy' option, and introduced some form of incentive encouraging property owners to install Grid Tie Only - my 'hippy' option. Grid Tie only is not only much cheaper but also shows a far quicker Return on Investment. The equation is simple - produce more than you use on any given day and that will reduce/negate your night time usage. The 'hippy' option was quite straightforward: Install and over panel with Solar Panels only No battery (i.e still subject to loadshedding) Allow your excess production to go to the grid to help support Eskom If we had a 50 000 households each sending 10 kWh per day into the grid we could have gifted FIVE HUNDRED Megawatts per day to Eskom - not to mention the even larger savings from self consumption. Eskom produces tens of thousands of megawatts daily, but a precise single number isn't fixed; it's a dynamic range, often in the 30,000-40,000 MW …
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Want to Free Yourself From Municipal Electricity Bills?
AND have a redundant system! Are batteries still viable in this 'loadshedding lite' pattern we find ourselves in? I recently wrote an article comparing the average annual percentage increase for electricity in Nelson Mandela Bay and contrasted that with the average annual percentage increases for municipal employees and councillors. (Article here: https://mynmb.co.za/how-the-nmbm-contributes-massively-to-nelson-mandela-bays-financial-failure/) That got me thinking about how we could zero our consumption at home and have a redundant Solar System. Want to Join me to Free Yourself From Municipal Bills? I have already taken the first step and prepared my Distribution Board for the installation of a Solar System (See: https://mypr.co.za/a-real-tale-of-the-cobbler-and-his-shoes/) The second conversation is around monthly consumption - I find myself on the Top Tier and we consume around 1200 kWh's per month. I require a certain amount of redundancy so that means installing TWO inverters (and batteries if required). I need to produce around of 40kwh's per day. That would mean around 12kw of PV Panels which is approximately 22 panels. The redundancy idea also gives the ability to utilise an east, north, west orientation (with four MPPT's) A 30 - 40kWh battery bank will carry us through the night and on cloudy days. The above setup, with two 12kW inverters will produce from 40 - 65kwh's per day in summer - allowing for top up and self consumption. My flatlet tenants consume around 450 units of electricity per month - so that will increase my recovery on the upfront investment a bit faster. There are two suggestions as to equipment: 2 x Sunsynk 8kW Hybrid Inverters plus 6 x 5.12kWh batteries plus 20 x Tier 1 Solar Panels OR 2 x 12kw Sigenergy Hybrid Inverters plus 4 x 8.06kWh Sigen Battery Modules plus 22 x 550W Tier 1 Solar Panels Estimated pricing (Including BoS, Cabling and Labour): Sunsynk: R237 900 - R283 500. …
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If Your Article Fits These Criteria Then Your Featured Submission Is Free
We are offering free Featured Press Release publication to any article that fully encapsulate the following guidelines: Journalistic in style, Unique, Topical, Entertaining, Newsy, NOT an ad (or even a sniff of an ad) and to be Published FIRST on MyPR. FAIR WARNING: If your submitted article does not meet any ONE of the criteria then it will be summarily deleted. In essence we are seeking to showcase and heavily promote articles submitted to MyPR that closely follow what Alfred Harmsworth (the Lord of Northcliffe) said about the news: "News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising." ~ Lord Northcliffe Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe (1865–1922) was a hugely influential British newspaper owner and proprietor of titles such as The Daily Mail and The Daily Mirror. His quote perfectly encapsulates the adversarial and investigative role he believed the press should play in holding power to account, separating genuine news from self-serving public relations material. If you think that your article falls under the above guidelines then please use THIS form below to submit it. In turn and in addition to our normal promotion, we will also heavily promote DIRECTLY to some of our trusted journalists looking for genuine news. Don't be fooled into thinking that we are only looking for investigative journalism scoops - unique news comes in many forms. Suggestions: Sport/Culture Reports from your local school or club, Praise or condemnation for local municipalities, Celebrating a local achievement - you get the drift. …
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Heading Tags
One More Way That Featured Press Releases Stand Out MyPR's addition of a Table of Contents Boosts Your SEO, AI and GEO Goals ONLY Available to Featured Press Release Subscribers Does a Table of Contents help with SEO and AI Snippets How Do AI Bots Decide to Cite Your Content? The current thinking around being noticed and cited by AI Bots is to ensure that they know exactly what your article is about - a no brainer as traditional SEO also demands this. But, we need to take that thinking up a notch or two by providing a bulleted 'Table of Contents' (ToC) or a bulleted 'Too Long Didn't Read' (TLDR) Section within each article. Here at MyPR we are rolling out such a service (to Featured Press Releases ONLY) that only needs to to take cogniscance of the underlying structure or method of how to do so. i.e. you only have to do ONE thing to enable the ToC's for your press release. Does a table of contents help with SEO and AI Snippets: According to Google AI; "Yes, a table of contents (TOC) helps with SEO and AI snippets by improving user experience and providing clear structure, which can lead to better visibility in search results. By helping users quickly navigate content and allowing search engines to better understand page hierarchy, a TOC can result in increased click-through rates, higher rankings, and a greater chance of appearing in features like AI Overviews or featured snippets." See also screenshot below. How Does MyPR Accomplish This? Simply put, through use of Heading Tags (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6). Your heading tags are a signal to indexing bots (Search Engines, AI etc.) of the decreasing importance of each heading - with H1 being most important and biggest and then cascading down to H6). As an example - in this article you are reading we encapsulated each heading in Heading tags - H3 is just the right size and bold to trigger the Table of Contents you see above. The ToC will only be triggered for more than three H …