The Ever-Increasing Cost of Doing Business in Africa: How OPP Can Help You Control Your Energy Costs

As an African business owner, you’re no stranger to the rising costs of doing business. One of the biggest contributors to these costs is the rising price of electricity.
According to energy analyst Dirk de Vos, electricity prices in South Africa have tripled in real terms over the past decade, with prices set to rise another 25% in the next three years. Similar price hikes have been happening across Africa.
With prices soaring, it’s becoming harder for companies to maintain profitability. But there is a solution.
At Optimised Power Products, we specialise in helping African companies reduce power consumption, save electrical energy, and increase profits. Our main goal is to promote the efficient use of electrical energy in Africa.
The problem lies in the old prices that allowed for inefficiency. Over the years, hundreds of millions of KW of electricity have been wasted. For businesses like yours, it may not have been much of a problem before. But with rising costs, it will erode profits and for some companies, it may be the difference between profit and loss.
The utility companies are not helping either. The Energy Regulation Board approved ZESCO’s application to increase electricity prices by 187% in 2015. Since then, prices have continued to rise, with ZESCO applying for another 75% price increase in March 2019. Zimbabwe’s power regulator recently increased the average electricity price by 320%, the second increase in just three months.
At Optimised Power Products, we offer a solution that can help you control your energy costs. By measuring and testing your power factor (PF), we can determine if your equipment is operating efficiently. On average, businesses lose 22% of their electricity due to low power factor. Some companies even lose up to 40% of their electricity. But the only way to know for sure is to measure your power factor.
ZESCO has conducted power factor surveys since 1995, and their report shows that 80% of their clients operate at a power factor of 0.5 to 0.8, meaning they are losing between 20% and 50% of all electricity. By installing power factor correction equipment you can improve your power factor and reduce energy consumption, which will ultimately lead to cost savings and increased profitability.
Contact Optimised Power Products
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to save money and improve your business operations. If you’re a business owner/operator in Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe contact us today and find out how we can help your business operate more efficiently and achieve its goals.