I love a sunburnt country and it just wouldn't be an Australian summer if you didn't pass at least one broken down old car on the way to work today. Don't worry if you missed out, I'm sure there will be a guy filling the radiator of his brown and tan '71 HQ Kingswood on the way home.
Record breaking heat-waves in the south, cyclones in the north and flash flooding in the west are make Australia a hotbed for unpredictable summers. Air conditioners, coolers and freezers are all working overtime while the power grids are struggling to maintain supply.
Photo credit: West Australian Desert Panorama via photopin (license)
In Victoria last summer, over 420,000 people in the CBD went without electricity and 13,000 train services were cancelled. Tasmania had its hottest day ever at 42 degrees and also its coldest January day ever recorded at 2 degrees.
South Australian power companies implemented power cuts called Load-Shedding to relieve some of the demand on their grids during several consecutive days of 40+ degree heat.
Flash floods affected WA and the Northern Territory, while Queensland has been hit with tropical cyclones which also caused flooding and dangerous winds.
With the overload on the power grids, blackouts are inevitable. How you are protected against power failure could be the difference between a long and prosperous future for your company or closing the doors.
Blackouts don't give warnings, they don't send a friendly reminder email advising you of their intention to cut your power supply, and they don't have an offshore call centre for support. When it happens, it's quick and ruthless, and unless your computer has a backup power supply, you can kiss all of your unsaved work goodbye!
On the other hand, you could spend as little as $100 on a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), save your work and go swimming at the beach for the afternoon.
A UPS is a back-up battery that can power you system long enough to safely save all your data and shut down. It will also protect against surges, spikes and brown outs. The choice is yours - Sink or swim?