THE PORCH LIGHT
Howdy!
Did you see the Oasis documentary everyone's been talking about is coming to Disney+ in SA on 9 October? 90s kids might be especially interested: it’s apparently for extra footage that never made the cinema cut. Don't Look Back In Anger scored 97% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, so maybe worth a look.
While you're on the couch, your aircon is about to get a lot of use. This summer is supposed to be a hot one, so we worked out what an aircon actually costs to run, and when paying more for an inverter comes back to you. Short answer: more often than you'd think, but not always.
We also look at:
The R579 gadget that puts your aircon on your phone
Why your aircon runs but the room stays hot
Fake iPhone 18 stores doing the rounds
AirPods 4 at R1,400 off
And way, way more…
Hit reply and tell us what temperature your aircon's set to. No judgement. Some judgement.
Justin, Kobus and Rowen
THE BIG ONE · COMFORT AND CLEAN
What it actually costs to run your aircon this summer
Got an aircon? You're about to find out what it really costs. This summer's El Niño is forecast to rank among the strongest since 1950, which means more heatwaves and more hours with it switched on.
A typical 1,500W split unit running 8 hours a day costs about R975 a month at R2.71 per unit. Your number depends on your tariff and how long it runs, so here's how to work out your own: the unit's power in kW, times hours a day, times your electricity price per unit. A 12,000 BTU unit comes to roughly R2.50–R4 an hour.
Inverter or not: what you're actually paying for
A non-inverter unit runs flat out, switches off when the room's cool, then switches back on again. An inverter slows down instead of stopping, meaning the same size unit uses about 30–50% less electricity. Non-inverters also draw 3–5x their running current every time they start up.
When an inverter pays for itself
The more hours it runs, the faster it earns back the difference. A 12,000 BTU inverter split costs R9,500–R17,000 installed. If it runs most evenings through summer, it's the right buy.
When it doesn't
If the unit only runs a handful of days a year, in a guest room or a spare office, the inverter premium never earns back within the unit's lifespan. There, the cheaper non-inverter makes more sense.
The size trap
As a guide, 10–15m² needs 9,000 BTU, 15–25m² needs 12,000, and 25–40m² needs 18,000–24,000. Too small and it never catches up. Too big and it cycles on and off, throwing away the efficiency you paid for.
The free fix
Every 1°C colder adds 5–10% to what it uses. Set it to 23—24°C instead of 18°C. It's the biggest saving you can make, and it costs nothing.
One thing if you're buying: installation involves both electrics and refrigerant gas, and most manufacturers only honour the warranty if a qualified technician fits it, so budget for a proper installer.
The signal
Run it at 23—24°C and you'll cut a real chunk off the bill for nothing. If you're buying, get an inverter for any room you'll cool most evenings, size it to the room, and use a qualified installer. Only buy a non-inverter for a room you'll barely use.
FIVE SIGNALS
Smart insights, short and sweet
WORK AND PLAY An electric motorbike for R22,500, if you live near a swap station. Kenya's Arc Ride has brought its Panther to SA. You don't charge it; you swap the battery at a station for R50 and get about 110km. Signal: Find out where the swap stations are before you buy, because there's no home charging option yet.
AUTOMATION OpenAI has pulled its next big model. GPT-6.1 Astra was due in October, but OpenAI scrapped the launch after it failed internal safety tests. Signal: Nothing you use today changes, the next upgrade just got further away.
POWER A smart geyser gadget claims to cut water heating costs by 15–30%. For a typical Homepower customer, that's about R120–R290 a month. The same piece notes modern geysers only lose 1–2°C an hour, which is why savings from a plain timer are debatable. Signal: Insulate first; it's cheaper. Then decide whether a smart controller is worth it for your house.
SAFE AND SOUND Fake iPhone 18 stores are doing the rounds. Kaspersky has found fake sites offering 25% off, taking Bitcoin, and listing colours Apple never made. They're after your WhatsApp number and card details. Signal: If the deal's too good or the colour doesn't exist, close the tab. Buy from Apple or a store you know.
WORK AND PLAY Meta has built a pocket watch for its AI. The Muse Charm takes Meta's AI agent off your phone entirely, which lets it sidestep Apple and Google. Signal: It's a sign AI is moving off the phone. Worth watching.
WORTH IT?
Broadlink RM4 Mini
R579 at HD Cabling
BUY for any split aircon with a remote. WAIT if yours already has Wi-Fi.
This R579 box turns the aircon you already own into one you control from your phone. It talks to the unit the same way your remote does, with infrared, and it has a built-in library of aircon brands, so setup is usually a matter of picking yours from a list. If your brand isn't there, it can learn your remote button by button.
Once it's set up, you can switch the aircon on from the office so the house is cool when you get home, or have it switch off after you fall asleep.
The catches: it needs a clear line of sight to the aircon, it only works with infrared remotes, and it needs 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. It won't work through a wall, so it has to live in the same room.
THE FIX
Your aircon is on, but the room won't cool
Before you call anyone out, check the three things that cause this most often. None of them cost a cent.
01 Check the mode. Fan mode switches the cooling off completely, and dry mode takes out moisture rather than heat. Set it to cool, a few degrees below the room temperature.
02 Clean the filter. Lift the front panel, slide the filters out, and wash them in warm, soapy water or vacuum them. Do it every month or two in summer.
03 Clear the outdoor unit. It needs about 60–90cm of space around it to get rid of heat. Cut back plants, move anything stacked against it, and never pressure-wash the fins.
If you see ice on the pipes, switch it off and call a technician. A sealed aircon doesn't use up its gas, so if it's low, there's a leak.
A non-inverter aircon draws a surge every time it starts. If that ever trips a breaker, your Olarm HUB's backup power keeps your alarm reporting while you reset it, and the Olarm APP will flag the power issue straight away.
ONE AUTOMATION
Cool the bedroom before bed, switch off at 2 am
WHEN it's 21:00
THEN the aircon switches on at 24°C, cool
AND switches off at 02:00
You need the Broadlink RM4 Mini from the Worth It? section, the free BroadLink app and about ten minutes.
01 Plug the RM4 Mini in, facing the aircon, and open the BroadLink app. Tap + to add it, and connect it to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.
02 Add your aircon: choose air conditioner, pick your brand and test that it switches on. If your brand isn't listed, use the learn option and press each button on your remote.
03 Open the aircon's control page, tap the three dots and choose Timer, then Add timer.
04 Set it for 21:00, repeat daily, and choose Power On at 24°C, cool. Save.
05 Add a second timer for 02:00 with Power Off. Save.
Test it tonight. If it doesn't fire, check that the RM4 Mini still has a clear line of sight to the aircon.
THE LIST
4 Deals to consider this week
Item | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
Apple AirPods 4 with ANC | iStore | R2,499 |
Instant Vortex Plus air fryer | Takealot | R2,499 |
Kärcher K3 pressure washer | Makro | R3,299 |
Midea 9,000 BTU portable aircon | Leroy Merlin | R3,999 |
The AirPods are R1,400 off, the biggest saving here. The Midea is the no-installation option if a split isn't possible, and it only needs a window for the exhaust hose.
