Load shedding causing another major security risk for homes in South Africa
Security company Fidelity ADT has warned homeowners to ensure their battery backups and security support systems are maintained during load shedding.
The group said that load shedding has knock-on effects on home security, and the increased frequency and duration of rolling blackouts in the country are causing damage to these systems.
Regular power cuts are impacting a range of technologies and communications systems, including alarm systems that start to malfunction without adequate battery backup, it said.
The group added that malfunctioning alarm systems increase false alarm activations, which, in turn, impact armed response’s ability to deal with real emergencies.
“Sufficient battery backups and charging capacity can extend the uptime of alarm systems during load shedding,” it said.
The group noted, however, that it is not ideal for any battery to be faced with continuing bouts of power cuts – whether they are planned or unplanned.
According to Fidelity’s head of communications, Charnel Hattingh, batteries already play a big part in the home security system, including for electric fences and gate motors.
While wireless security systems have batteries in the detectors that are not affected by load shedding, the main control box still contains a backup battery that should not be neglected, she said.
“When you check your backup batteries, make sure you look at everything. Preventative maintenance action today can help ensure that your security system still operates the way it should tomorrow,” said the head of communications.
According to Hattingh, batteries have a limited lifespan as they charge and discharge repeatedly.
Batteries that have gone through too many of these cycles deteriorate and may not be able to charge sufficiently during load-shedding times – compromising security systems.
Stage 1 load shedding can give batteries enough time to recharge; however, the higher stages place more pressure on batteries.
Hattingh added that armed response companies might alert homeowners of the potentially low batteries via SMS.
Homeowners should ensure that alarm systems are working optimally, said Hattingh.
“Your security system’s keypad can provide you with information about any problems that need technical intervention. Search on the internet for a copy of the system’s user guide or ask your monitoring company to send you a copy.”
Hattingh said UPS backup systems are also useful to add to any home system, even if they are costly.
“They can play a part in keeping you and your property safe if they are connected properly and used in the way they were intended to be used.”
Heightened crime
Making home security a priority during South Africa’s near-permanent state of load shedding is vital, as the rolling blackouts provide the most opportune time for criminals in the country to act.
Security experts and insurers recently warned that crime and claim data are pointing to elevated levels of crime in the country, attributing the spike to high levels of load shedding that have been in place since the start of the year.
Auto & General said that it has seen a 40% increase in the number of burglaries reported in the first two weeks of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Speaking at a National Press Club briefing on load shedding security risks last week, security experts said blackouts were simply making South Africa’s already bad crime situation worse.
The warnings go hand-in-hand with alerts from major metros in the country, which have been placed on a high alert to tackle elevated levels of vandalism and theft of public infrastructure during load shedding.
“The increases seem to be spiking as a result of load shedding. Load shedding is a very worrying factor that powers on to a number of other factors that weaken our public security situation and the ability of the state to effectively respond to that situation,” the security experts said.
Read: Load shedding pushed to stage 6 – here’s the new schedule