I have subscribed to a link the past week that lets you know by e-mail EVERY day whether and when you will be without power - and so far it seems to work.
You subscribe only once and never have to visit the site again. It automatically lets you know by e-mail what's cooking (or not). You should, for example, have power the whole of today AND tonight. YEAH! No load shedding!
CLICK HERE to subscribe. You simply fill in your e-mail address, select OBSERVATORY (still not sure if it includes the one in the Cape too), hit the SUBSCRIBE button and Voila! You're switched on (or not)
Another useful web site I discovered for those who have a beef with a company, but just get nowhere is Get Closure, developed by Arno Kuhl, one of our residents.
Trust me, it's better than Hello Peter, because they are not in the naming and shaming game. They just channel your complaint in the right direction.
October we sweated to clean up your little park. CLICK HERE
So we didn't really clean in June/July - but we made money, at least. CLICK HERE
Hot sun, but fun. We cleaned up Innes Street in May. CLICK HERE
An exhausted team cleaned up of Eckstein Street in April. CLICK HERE
To see how we slaved to clean Observatory Avenue in MarchCLICK HERE
To see what fun was had by all at our February clean-up: the Observatory Ridge CLICK HERE
The green house effect
Want to cut your water and electricity bill with at least R400 per month? Richard Holden (left) did - by simply transforming his Bellevue house into a working "eco-house".
"I've been living 'green' for five years now, and have R30 000 more in my pocket," says this manager of Social Impact Studies at the Department of Science & Technology.
It was his job that challenged him to think green. "I work in an environment where I must find sustainable service solutions for especially poor people. They need services - but also services that won't tax the environment or any existing infrastructures."
Some projects involved eco-toilets, solar heating and addressing waste or "grey" water. "My solution was simple: if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me." says Richard.
He started with an eco-toilet in his bathroom. "It looks like a normal toilet, but uses no water." And he promptly leads me to The Throne to demonstrate. "Look, no pipes," he points out proudly. Toilet paper, yes, but instead of flushing you throw in a cupful of compost. "No fuss - and definitely no smell," he brags.
It works on a simple pan system outside the house that is emptied once a month, "but don't worry, it's by then already like compost", he assures you quickly. All the waste is recycled, first in a aerated compost bin and then a smaller compacted unit where it lies for about a year before it is worked back into the soil.
Is it worth the effort? "What effort," he scoffs. "Did you know that you use nearly 10 litres of water every time you flush a toilet? I've been saving that water for five years now."
Look ma! No pipes!
And more... Richard hooked up the pipes from the bath, shower, sink, basin and washing machine to flow into a "grey water depot": a big plastic bucket and pump in the ground, which, when it is full, automatically irrigates his whole garden.
"Grey water - used, soapy water - is really clean. And with our current sewerage system all that water is literally going down the drain: it lands up in a sewerage depot where it is unrecyclable. A grey water system at your home can save you thousands of litres of water every month. Make the sum: 10 litres to flush a toilet, 110 litres to have a bath. At least my bath water feeds my garden" - and we instantly tour his luscious valley...
"I never water my garden with clean tap water. The grey water does the job - and for the plants not fond of acid, I use rainwater that I catch from the gutters into a big plastic container."
But his biggest moneysaver was just one solar heating panel on the roof of his house. "My electricity bill dropped immediately with R300 - and the water is piping hot." Even in winter? "I sometimes boost it by turning on the small element inside the system, but that uses minimal electricity because of the effective insulation."
Just how green is Richard? "I grow my own veggies - they flourish with grey water - and recycle some food stuffs in the kitchen, but must still get around to address the paper, glass and plastics. That's my next project..."
Richard will help you with any queries about going green at 082 451 4796 - and will proudly show you how his eco-house in 48 Natal Street works. You can e-mail him at
The costs:
"Your biggest expense will be the solar heating - but you will recoup that money within a year."
Eco toilet: Some models with added pipes and extractor fans cost up to R7 000 installed. Richard's eco-toilet costs R400 installed. "It works because it has no moving parts that can break!"
Grey water: You can just extend all existing pipes with elbows, etc to run into a basin covered with wood chips or mulch (CLICK HERE for a more detailed plan) - or go Richard's way with a pump that automatically starts emptying the bucket before it overflows.
Posted 20 February 2006 by Carine Hartman
Richard will help you with any queries about going green at 082 451 4796 - and will proudly show you how his eco-house in 48 Natal Street works. You can e-mail him at
The costs:
"Your biggest expense will be the solar heating - but you will recoup that money within a year."
Eco toilet: Some models with added pipes and extractor fans cost up to R7 000 installed. Richard's eco-toilet costs R400 installed. "It works because it has no moving parts that can break!"
Grey water: You can just extend all existing pipes with elbows, etc to run into a basin covered with wood chips or mulch (CLICK HERE for a more detailed plan) - or go Richard's way with a pump that automatically starts emptying the bucket before it overflows.
Posted 20 February 2006 by Carine Hartman
Richard will help you with any queries about going green at 082 451 4796 - and will proudly show you how his eco-house in 48 Natal Street works. You can e-mail him at
The costs:
"Your biggest expense will be the solar heating - but you will recoup that money within a year."
Eco toilet: Some models with added pipes and extractor fans cost up to R7 000 installed. Richard's eco-toilet costs R400 installed. "It works because it has no moving parts that can break!"
Grey water: You can just extend all existing pipes with elbows, etc to run into a basin covered with wood chips or mulch (CLICK HERE for a more detailed plan) - or go Richard's way with a pump that automatically starts emptying the bucket before it overflows.
Want to cut your water and electricity bill with at least R400 per month? Richard Holden (left) did - by simply transforming his Bellevue house into a working "eco-house".
