How property managers can capitalise on load shedding

Load shedding in South Africa

South Africans are sitting in the dark again after Eskom, South Africa's energy provider, implemented load shedding in the middle of September 2022. The year has been one of the worst for load shedding, with over 100 days of power cuts.

Load shedding puts pressure on your business. Without alternative power sources, your operations come to a standstill, and you have to turn customers away. While short-term effects like a loss in profits are damaging, the long-term impact may be even more detrimental.

The bad news is there's little hope that the situation will improve soon, with Eskom's CEO stating that load shedding could get worse.

The good news is that there's light at the end of the tunnel for your business.

Taking advantage of South Africa's energy crisis

Because one of the roles of commercial property management is efficient energy management, you can capitalise on the country's energy crisis by offering your customers practical solutions to help them address the challenges of load shedding.

By implementing and managing backup energy systems like solar power, inverters and generators for your clients, you can help them keep their doors open during load shedding.

The best way to attract customers and encourage them to sign up for your services rather than manage their own backup power solutions is to share the benefits of outsourcing energy management. Whether you use email marketing, social media, or paid advertising, you must communicate the advantages with prospects to show them the value of your services.

To get you started, we've listed some of the top advantages of outsourcing energy management to property managers.

Save time and money

You can save your clients time, money, and the hassle of operating and maintaining backup power systems, as they don't have to hire a team to manage these assets.

Improve focus on core tasks

Because your company specialises in energy management, your clients can focus on their core tasks while you focus on efficiently utilising assets like solar panels, inverters, and generators.

Increase efficiency

With a fully operational and well-maintained energy system, your clients can keep their business operations going during load shedding, helping them increase productivity and efficiency.

Gain a competitive advantage

Giving your clients the power to operate during load shedding can give them a competitive advantage, as they can continue working even when their competitors can't. Your clients can use their backup power systems as a selling point and attract potential customers to their business.

Invest in tools for efficient energy management

To attract and secure more clients, you must ensure that you can offer a reliable energy management service. You need to be organised if you want to take on new clients and manage maintenance jobs efficiently.

Many property management companies rely on cloud-based software to streamline and automate processes to increase efficiency. Here's how you can use Property Management Software to simplify your day-to-day operations.

Schedule maintenance jobs

The software allows you to schedule recurring maintenance jobs for backup power system equipment. Automating routine maintenance saves you time and helps you manage maintenance schedules for assets across all your properties.

Track your assets

The benefit of using cloud-based software is that all your data is automatically stored online, helping you keep track of all activities related to your assets. If equipment is moved to a new location, you can update the site address, and if new assets are purchased or retired, you can add this information to the system. You can also use Asset Management Software to attach digital copies of compliance documents and certificates to your assets.

Monitor staff productivity

You can use the software to monitor your team's progress and ensure that maintenance tasks are completed on time. When you access the live panel, you can see which jobs your team has completed or put on hold, helping you keep track of their productivity.

Make it easy for clients to request jobs

Your clients can access the system's client portal and share job requests with you. If a repair needs to be done urgently, they can share the request, and your team can prioritise the task. Streamlining client communication can help you boost efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction.

Now's your chance to take advantage of load shedding. Grow your property management portfolio and expand your business with the help of Property Management Software.

Sign up for a 14-day free trial, or contact us for more information.