{"id":1255,"date":"2023-05-18T06:36:21","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T06:36:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/?p=1255"},"modified":"2026-03-18T11:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:46:26","slug":"south-african-insurance-companies-could-soon-require-surge-protectors-on-appliances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/2023\/05\/18\/south-african-insurance-companies-could-soon-require-surge-protectors-on-appliances\/","title":{"rendered":"South African insurance companies could soon require surge protectors on appliances"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

South African insurers recommend that the best way to protect your electrical appliances from load-shedding damage is to unplug them before the power goes off and reconnect them a while after power has returned.<\/p>\n

However, this isn\u2019t always possible with load-shedding slots sprinkled throughout the day, as homeowners aren\u2019t always around to disconnect their appliances.<\/p>\n

There are ways around this, with King Price client experience partner Wynand van Vuuren recommending any SABS-approved surge protection product, provided it\u2019s professionally installed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt King Price, we don\u2019t prescribe specific surge protectors or switches. Anything that\u2019s SABS-approved can be used, as long as it\u2019s correctly and professionally installed if necessary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Van Vuuren warned that although these forms of protection aren\u2019t compulsory with regard to King Price\u2019s policies and cover,\u00a0they may become a requirement in future<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Momentum Insure chief actuary Rudolf Britz told MyBroadband distribution board-installed surge protectors are the best bet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is best to unplug sensitive devices before load-shedding is suspended,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is inconvenient though, and the best solution is to install surge protection in the distribution board itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny such installation must come with a certificate of compliance as well,\u201d Britz added.<\/p>\n

\"\"
xr:d:DAFiseJfqOo:2,j:4537152277,t:23051209<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both insurers agree that load-shedding-related claims have recently increased, with incidents extending beyond appliance damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last 8 months, we\u2019ve seen an increase of more than 27% in claims for loss and damage to buildings, home contents, and portable possessions due to power surges,\u201d said Van Vuuren.<\/p>\n

Britz explained that Eskom\u2019s rotational power cuts have resulted in increased vehicle accident and home burglary claims, in addition to claims for damaged electronics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have certainly seen an increase in claims where load-shedding plays a role. Most concerning is that we have seen that when load-shedding is suspended, there often tends to be a power surge causing damage to sensitive electronic devices such as fridges, microwaves, TVs, and the like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not all, though; we have seen an increase in motor vehicle accidents due to traffic lights not working and also due to streetlights not working at night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has also caused an increase in home burglaries due to alarms or electric fencing not working as planned,\u201d Britz added.<\/p>\n

Britz also warned that while gas appliances significantly reduce reliance on the power grid, they present their own risks.<\/p>\n

\u201cLoad-shedding will be with us for some time. Apart from the damage it causes due to the unreliability of electricity, the alternative fuels that get used also have their risks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful with gas appliances as they naturally lead to higher risk of fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, if you use a generator or an inverter, make sure that it is used according to the intended purposes and in line with regulations. It is always best to have it professionally installed with the necessary certificates of compliance,\u201d Britz added.<\/p>\n

King Price\u2019s Van Vuuren clarified how insurers approach load-shedding and grid interruptions, as they are very different incidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt King Price, we continue to cover our clients for loss and damage caused by power surges due to load-shedding, but there\u2019s no cover for grid interruption,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He explained that load-shedding is the intentional, total or partial shedding of electricity supply from any source by any party other than the insured.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Load-shedding] is implemented in phases and doesn\u2019t affect a municipality or province or country at the same time,\u201d Van Vuuren added.<\/p>\n

With regard to grid collapse \u2014 or a grid interruption \u2014 he described the incident as an interruption or suspension of power supply from any electrical power supply network to any end-user.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether due to damage, an inability and\/or failure (whether partial or total) of the utility supplier to generate, transmit or distribute electricity, or otherwise,\u201d Van Vuuren added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South African insurers recommend that the best way to protect your electrical appliances from load-shedding damage is to unplug them before the power goes off…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-innov8ions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1255"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1259,"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1255\/revisions\/1259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innov8fs.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}