“They Don’t Want You To Know”: Woman Shows How She Outsmarted Eskom and Saved R2000

• A South African entrepreneur shared how she saved her household around R2000 a month on electricity
• She explained that the simple method of swapping out the electrical device in her kitchen is making a huge dent in cutting costs
• South Africans flooded the comments with a mix of praise and their own money-saving tips

A South African woman shared a simple electricity-saving tip that got big results in her home. Magriet Groenewald posted her tip on her Facebook page on 20 March 2026 from her kitchen. She said that she outsmarted Eskom, and it started with something as small as a kettle.

In the video, she explained that her household made one simple change. They packed away the electric kettle and switched to using a gas stove to boil water instead. She explained that she and her family work from home and drink a lot of coffee throughout the day. This means that the kettle gets used constantly. Since making the switch, she says they have recorded a saving of around R2000 a month on their electricity bill.

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She added that a gas bottle for their entire household costs about R350 and lasts roughly two months. If used only for boiling water, she estimated that it would last between six and eight months.

Her message was aimed at anyone trying to be smarter with their money. She said most people focus on earning more without realising how much they are quietly losing through small daily habits they never stop to question.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

SA debates woman's electricity-saving technique

The comments section was very busy, and not everyone was fully convinced by Facebook user @magrietgroenewaldsocial's technique:

@Simon Davenall pointed out:

"That's 18,044 cups of coffee a month if your cup is 250ml. Your maths is not adding up."

@Wayne Oranmore-Brown shared:

"R2000 is roughly our monthly bill for a four-bedroom house with a 4kW geyser, four fridges, an electric stove, and a kettle."

@Hudson Governor added:

"It costs around 50 cents to boil four cups of water. That means she boiled the kettle 4,000 times."

@Michelle se Kombuis said:

"Gas and solar all the way. Been off the grid for three years. No load shedding, no waiting for Eskom."

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@Samina Hoosain asked:

"R2000 just for the kettle... What is your full electric bill?"

@Jolene Michalakis said:

"Brilliant. During load shedding, I kept a flask to top up boiled water."

@Melanie Maistry shared:

"I boil once and put the water in a huge flask. Works perfectly."

@Ferdie Tadford warned:

"That gas installation is unsafe. Move it outside in a ventilated cage. Stay safe."

@Lehlohonolo Nkhatho added:

"In Pretoria, a 9kg gas bottle is less than R280."

More on SA electricity struggles and savings

• Briefly News recently reported on a Johannesburg electricity expert who warned about a NERSA calculation error that would result in much steeper electricity prices.
• A South African woman went viral after showing how she cooks using candles in her sink due to rising power costs.
• A Durban financial advisor shared a detailed breakdown of how his monthly utility bills jumped dramatically.

Source: Briefly News