Across Africa, the cost of electricity is on the rise. Compounded by inflation and other economic pressures, this puts additional strain on consumers

“With households already feeling the pinch, proactive measures to manage energy usage are essential to not only save money, but electricity too,” says Dr Andrew Dickson, Engineering Executive at CBI-electric: low voltage.

Below, he shares 10 ways that people can do this by using smart home technologies to monitor, control and automate electrical appliances:

1. Knowledge is power: Understanding how much electricity your most commonly used appliances consume is the first step towards more efficient energy use. Many smart home technologies can track energy consumption, helping to pinpoint areas where you might be able to save.
2. Keep loads low: The load management capabilities of some home automation systems can help users ensure that only one heavy load-consuming appliance is switched on at any given moment, thereby ensuring optimal energy distribution.
3. Set limits: Users can specify the operating duration of appliances, like running the geyser for two hours to save electricity while also ensuring a hot bath.
4. Schedule appliance switch-on: Many regions have peak and off-peak hours when electricity costs more. Smart tech can help consumers schedule appliances to run during off-peak times whenever possible to save money. This can be done at specific times and on particular days.
5. Curb consumption in colder months: Electricity is more expensive during winter due to the high demand that results from using heaters, electric blankets and underfloor heating to keep cosy. Smart home devices could be used to determine when these appliances switch on as well as for how long. And while it can be hard to get out of bed on those icy winter mornings, a timer could be set to switch on a heater so that your bedroom is warm even before you wake up.
6. Environmental intelligence: Many of these technologies can react to environmental conditions such as weather or the setting and rising of the sun, enabling them to automatically switch specific loads on or off under these conditions. So, if a rainy day is detected for instance, your irrigation system can be preprogrammed to not switch on. This not only saves electricity, but water too, which can lower the total of your bill.
7. Remote control: Worried you left a device switched on? Smart home technologies allow users to turn connected appliances off from their smartphone and/or tablet from anywhere in the world. You can also use this capability to switch items on. To illustrate, you could turn your lights on before you get home from work in the evening.
8. Don’t just standby: When in standby mode, electronic goods like microwaves, computers, televisions, coffee machines, gaming consoles and even garage door openers can consume more electricity than when they are in use as they are only active for relatively short periods. While the obvious solution would be to unplug all non-essential appliances when inactive, smart home tech lets users switch off any items that are pulling power unnecessarily.
9. Incorporate renewable energy sources: With the adoption of rooftop solar steadily increasing across the African continent, smart home technology enables the effortless integration of these alternative power sources. For instance, the tech could be used to connect and disconnect from the grid as well as to ensure that the power produced by solar PV systems is used effectively and efficiently.
10. Avoid additional expenses: To protect appliances from voltage fluctuations that could result from power outages, users can set a minimum and maximum ‘safe operating voltage range’. If the voltage is unstable, the technology will monitor voltage levels and only allow power to the appliance once this is within a safe operating range.

“Contrary to popular belief, homeowners won’t need to rewire their homes to enjoy the benefits of smart home technologies. Devices like smart plugs, isolators and controllers can easily be installed by an electrician without the need for additional wiring or hubs,” points out Dr Dickson.

He concludes by saying, “With the cost of living set to increase over 2024, now is the time for Africans to put the power in their hands and save in areas that they can control.”

By Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head – Nigeria, Zoho Corp.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy. According to figures released last year by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), SMBs account for around 48% of Nigeria’s GDP. Additionally, they account for 96% of all businesses and 84% of employment.

To reach their full potential, SMBs must leverage effective business-enabling technology, including solutions for CX, finance, HR and employee productivity. However, it’s important to remember that not every business app is equal. It is essential for businesses to carefully select the apps they utilise, whether opting for a mix of best-of-breed solutions from various vendors or choosing to deploy a unified suite from a single vendor who offers end-to-end business solutions for all needs.

While there are no universal rules for what kind of app will suit a company best, there are a few guidelines that businesses can consider to ensure that they choose apps that are best suited to their business needs.

1. The app should have a single source of truth (to avoid data silos)

Even small businesses have data accruing from a variety of sources. This data can be incredibly valuable, helping the business make decisions about where it’s performing best and which areas it needs to work on. However, that can only happen if the app (or suite of apps) provides a single source of truth (SSOT). An SSOT aggregates data from across the organisation to a single location. This allows the business to make decisions based on a consolidated view of what’s happening across departments rather than trying to pick through individual data silos.

2. Check how well the solution scales

The goal of any business is to grow, and ideally, the chosen apps should evolve alongside it. However, many of the solutions marketed to SMBs lack scalability. Scalability isn’t just about adaptable pricing tiers; it also means that they should have a demonstrable track record of working with businesses of various sizes and providing them with the offerings they need to facilitate their growth.

3. Security

If you’re a small business, you might think that security doesn’t need to be a major concern. After all, how much value is a cyber-criminal going to get out of your business? But it’s high time SMBs prioritise cybersecurity. To understand why, you only need to look at the fact that Nigerian SMEs are among the biggest targets of cybercrime. The breaches that result from this criminal activity don’t just have a financial cost attached to them but can also do massive reputational damage, something which no small business can afford to bear. This is why it’s paramount to ensure that the app chosen complies with local data protection guidelines or regulations and will protect the data of the customers who trust you with their information.

4. Ease of use

If you’re running an SMB, it’s likely your team is small but wears many hats. Hence, it’s vital to ensure that any business app or suite of apps you select is user-friendly, especially for non-technical staff. Opting for easy-to-use apps has long-term benefits. As your business expands, seamless onboarding becomes crucial. The right app(s) significantly reduce training needs, enabling new employees to be productive team members from day one.

5. Customer support

Regardless of how easy an app is to use, there will be occasions when additional support is needed. The app provider should ensure support for customer businesses across a diverse range of channels for their convenience. From onboarding new customers to attending to queries, businesses should also evaluate how effective the vendor is with post-sales support.

Always aim for integration

Beyond the level of strategic impact that an app or a platform can bring to your business, another aspect to consider is how well the chosen app can integrate into your existing tech ecosystem. Ideally, the app should be built to accommodate integration, capability extension, and customisation needs in order to truly serve a business’ needs. When the app ticks the checklist discussed above, the ROI it can provide your business can be multifold.

Multichoice Limited has proceeded to increase packages price for DStv and GOtv as announce on Wednesday last week.

This is despite the order by Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) sitting in Abuja, restraining the pay tv company from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services.

Recall that on April 24, the company announced that it would increase its price for its DStv and GOtv cable services, beginning from on May 1.

But CCPT in Abuja ruled that the firm should not increase its prices as scheduled.

The three-member tribunal, presided over by Saratu Shafii, gave the interim order on Monday following an ex-parte motion moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for Festus Onifade, the applicant.

In a ruling, the tribunal restrained multi-choice from going ahead with the impending price increase schedule to take effect from May 1, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.

It also directed all parties in the suit to appear before the tribunal on May 7 at 10 a.m. for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The petitioner had dragged Multichoice Nigeria Ltd and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) before the tribunal.

In the suit filed on April 29, Onifade, also a legal practitioner, sought two orders.

These include, “an order of interim injunction of this honourable tribunal restraining the 1st defendant whether by themselves, her privies, assigns by whatsoever name called from going ahead with impending price increase schedule to take effect from 1st May 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“An order restraining the 1st defendant from taking any step(s) that may negatively affect the rights of the claimant and other consumers in respect of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The company had, on April 1, 2022, hiked the prices of all its packages..

Despite the court ruling, a check by this medium revealed that the South African firm has gone ahead with the tariff increase as earlier proposed.

On its official website, the new prices are now being displayed and implemented.

For DStv Premium subscribers, the price has moved from N29,500 to N37,000. Also, the price for

Compact rate has moved from N12,500 to 15,700 while Confam and Yanga subscribers will now pay N9,300 and N5,100 respectively from their previous rates of N7,400 and N4,200.

Similarly, GOtv subscribers will pay the new tariff increase as the prices have also changed on their official websites.

The elite subscribers (Supa+ and Supa) will now pay N15,700 and N9,600 respectively as against the previous rates of N12,500 and N7,600 before.

In addition, the Max and Jolli subscribers are now expected to pay N7,200 and N4,850 respectively. The former rates were N5,700 and N3,950.

However, on average, Multichoice increased the prices by 25%.