Solar cooking … affordable first step to lower electricity bills

Bigger monthly electricity bills are powering a surge of interest in energy-saving ideas.

Two key statistics in the family quest for energy-efficiency are the average household electricity consumption, according to Eskom, of 1100kWh per month, with an estimated 8% of consumption ascribed to the stove in your kitchen.

Eskom-free cooking by some other means can therefore save up to 8% on power bills that recently went up by more than a quarter.

The arithmetic has sparked renewed interest in solar cooking, says Herman Warren, chief executive of Sun Ray Cooker, manufacturers of a South Africa-made solar cooker that has become a major beneficiary of the energy-efficiency trend.

Families are examining an array of power-saving options, but generally want to make an affordable, hassle-free start that’s easy to implement.

Warren explains: “High initial costs deter many people from adopting solar geysers – even with an Eskom subsidy. Pre-paid meters as a monitoring option can also be quite expensive.

“Those who are ‘going green’ will certainly consider solar roof tiles or shingles at some future stage, but this entails significant investment and means calling in a roofing contractor.

“As electricity bills soar, South Africans will move towards solutions like this, but for now they are primarily in the market for an affordable starting point they don’t have to pay a contractor’s crew to install – this usually means a solar cooker you simply set up in the sun.”

The patented Sun Ray Cooker is affordable, durable and child’s play to use.

It is a slow-cooker, which means there is no danger of over-cooking. Food is simply placed inside the box and left out in the sun. There is no need to stir. Natural temperature build-up cooks the food. Generally, a slow solar cooker takes twice the time to cook a meal as a conventional stove.

Food for up to six people can be cooked at one time in the Sun Ray Cooker.

Warren adds: “Our cooker enables you to cook everything from beans to stews. The cooker will also bake bread. Customers often experiment and share new meal ideas they have cooked up, including desserts.

“Users get into the habit of popping a meal into the cooker, leaving it out in the sun and going to the shops or gym. They then come back to a naturally cooked and nutritious meal. Solar cooking becomes part of the lifestyle. You plug into the great power-point in the sky and the sun does the rest.”

Solar cooking is an all-year option. Even winter sunshine is sufficient for perfect cooking results, says Warren.

“The sun puts out its rays non-stop without putting up its rates,” says Warren. “That’s the sort of utility South Africans are looking for.”