1. Avoid premium increases with surge-proof adapters

Even if your electronics are insured and specified, excessive claiming will most likely increase your premium and you might be liable for excess payments. To avoid damage to your electronics due to load shedding, make sure that you have a surge-protection device installed either on your distribution board or your power sockets.

These adapters will protect your electronics from power surges and sudden power cuts. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and although they may set you back a couple of hundred rands, it’ll be less expensive than a hefty premium increase or unplanned excess payment.

2. Take caution when using alternative sources of energy 

Lack of electricity will inevitably lead to more and more people using alternative sources of energy, especially gas stoves, gas heaters and gas braais. If you decide to install a new gas system, there are very important things to remember:

• Safety always comes first – make sure that all your gas equipment is of good quality and in good working condition. If you haven’t used gas equipment for a long time, make sure that you service them properly before use.
• Inform your broker – Secondly, but just as important, is to inform your broker or insurer the moment you install a gas system. If you don’t, any claims relating to the gas system and its surrounds will most likely be rejected. Gas installations need to adhere to certain rules in order to be adequately insured, for example having a fire extinguisher installed or obtaining a certificate of compliance from a reputable gas installer. If you don’t have these, you will not be adequately covered.

Protect your cyber assets

For most companies, their data is their greatest asset. The financial and legal implications of data theft or data loss can be profound. That’s why every smart company owner knows that a cyber liability insurance policy is a no-brainer.

As with most insurance policies, there are certain conditions that must be met for the policy to be valid. One of the biggest conditions of a cyber liability insurance policy is that frequent data backups must take place and that these backups must be stored safely on a backup drive. But what if a sudden power surge or blackout fried your backup drive and reset your backup systems?

The best way to ensure accurate and reliable backups is to use cloud storage systems like SharePoint or iCloud, alternatively, you can also install a UPS on your backup systems to give you some time to shut down the system properly. You can also protect your hard drive or backup computer by getting a surge-proof power socket.