Electricity costs are rising significantly each year, Eskom is failing the nation and we face load shedding as part of our future, together with power outages as the result of ageing infrastructure.

Water, essential for our survival, is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity and there is a strong possibility that if we don’t conserve it, we could run out of water in the future.

The good news is that we can all capture and store water quite easily at a relatively reasonable cost, particularly based on how important it is to us all.

When it comes to electricity, however, it’s definitely time to start looking at what options are available, so that we can still enjoy all the benefits that this energy source brings. In particular, it’s important to our livelihood and comfort that appliances including lighting, fridges, freezers, stoves, ovens and alarm systems continue to run, even when power outages last for long periods of time.

While there is hope that we, as a country, might resolve these issues over time, it will be a long road before we do so. The possibility exists that the situation will worsen before it gets better and it is vital that we prepare ourselves for that eventuality.