Home owners reminded to do these crucial safety and security checks during loadshedding

"We recommend that people test these systems on a regular basis, but this has become more important now than ever before. The battery backup is a crucial element that needs to be tested, to give you the ease of mind that it will still offer monitoring and protection when the power goes out," says Charnel Hattingh, Head of Marketing and Communication at Fidelity ADT.

A recent survey by Santam, SA's leading short-term insurer, reveals opportunistic crime as a result of security systems not operating properly has increased during load shedding.

Marius Neethling, Personal Lines Underwriting Manager at Santam says almost a third of survey respondents said that their appliances had been damaged by a possible power surge due to load shedding. 

A further 21% make use of generators, some 30% are not sure that their generators are SABS certified and properly connected. During load shedding, there is an increased risk of damage to sensitive electronic items caused by power surges as well as fires.

READ: Survey reveals the high cost of SA's load shedding for homeowners

Hattingh adds that if you have a stable and correctly programmed security system coupled with a battery that is in a good condition, "it will continue to protect your home or your place of work during any power outage."

'Cancel any false alarms'

The increased occurrence of load shedding means that there are more alarm activation signals received by armed response companies than usual.

"If the alarm is triggered because of a power surge or because of load shedding, please contact your security company as soon as possible to cancel any false alarms. This helps ensure that armed response officers are allocated to legitimate emergencies. We have introduced an automated call centre 'agent' to make it easier for customers to quickly cancel false alarms, which also frees up call centre staff members to concentrate on legitimate emergencies," says Hattingh.

Practical steps that can be taken to ensure security is not compromised during any power cuts:

1. Always remain vigilant, and report suspicious activity in your suburb to the SAPS
2. Ensure that all automated gates and doors are secured
3. With the added inconvenience of the lights going out at night due to power cuts, candles and touch-lights are handy alternatives
4. Test the battery backup system and consider an additional battery pack for standby. Tests of alarm systems should ideally be conducted every six months
5. Power cuts can impact on fire systems and fire control systems, so these also need to be checked regularly
6. The more frequent use of gas and candles can increase the risk of fire and home fire extinguishers should be on hand

The only time any alarm system might not function correctly is if there is a technical issue or the battery power is low.

"Most modern alarm systems have a backup battery pack that activates automatically when there is a power failure. We recommend considering an additional battery backup pack, as load shedding puts additional strain on the battery," she says.

Santam suggests the following tips to minimise damage and loss during load shedding:

• Arriving or leaving home: Ensure that you are especially alert when arriving or leaving your home after dark, as the street lights and your outside lighting may not be functioning.
• Automated gates and garage doors: Ensure that a backup battery is installed and in a working order. Ensure that you have ways to enter and exit your home if your electric security gates and garage door are not functioning due to load shedding. Keep the keys to the gate motors in an accessible safe
• Alternative light sources: Invest in re-chargeable solar, camping, battery-operated or LED lights, which are much safer than candles or paraffin lamps.
• Generators: Make sure your generator is professionally installed, and never store more than 20 litres of fuel in your house. Test your generator frequently, and remember to have a fire extinguisher on site.
• Surge protection: You can buy a surge protector for your electric mains board, as well as surge protector plug adaptors, at most leading hardware stores. Surge protectors at the main distribution board should be installed by a certified electrician.
• Electric fencing: Your electric fence should have a backup battery, which needs to be tested regularly and replaced if needed.