Ways to Keep Warm & Play at Our Online Casino This Winter!

We absolutely recommend that you snuggle up and keep warm this winter while playing at our online casino.  It is the perfect way to bide out the icy days and nights!  Since you want more money to play games at Springbok Casino, how can you turn up the heat in your home in the most cost-effective way?

Most countries that deal with extreme heat or cold are readily kitted out to ward off the discomfort.  You can rely on central heating of some sorts in Canada or the UK, or air conditioning to cool down the year-long hot summer days in Dubai or Malaysia.  In SA, it’s not that simple.

It’s Not All Warm Sunshine – South Africa Can Get Icy Cold

While travel and weather sites might tell you that the average daily temperature in the country is 25 degrees Celsius, the truth is there is no real average.  Cape Town is even known for having ‘four seasons in one day’… and overall, temps can skyrocket or dip well above or below the ‘perceived average’.

As a Saffer, you will know this to be true as you try spin the reels at our online casino in winter, but your fingers are all but stiff little icicles!  The problem is that South African homes come standard with, well, nothing.  Houses are also not sufficiently insulated to protect against extreme weather – be it hot or cold.

Whether it is blazing hot or thoroughly frigid, getting comfortable enough to enjoy online casino games without breaking a sweat or turning hypothermic, regulating the inside conditions is up to you.  Since it is winter, the burning question is, what is the most economical way to defrost?

Oil, Air, Wall Panel, Quarts & Halogen Electric Heaters

Hop over to Takealot and you can easily pick up an oil fin heater, fan heater, halogen or quartz heater for under a thousand bucks.  The problem is in the ‘electric’ part as they all require electricity to run.  With outputs of 800W to 2000W, depending on the size, running costs can be extortionate.

Although many make claims about ‘high efficiency’, you’ll mostly find that you need more than one heater to sufficiently break the cold.  Let’s say you have two 2000W electric heaters running.  That is four units of electricity per hour, which calculates to about R10 per hour – on a good day.

The more electricity you use, the higher the cost per unit as you move up the usage tiers.  Add our recent electricity price increases – and running anything beyond our online casino can get very pricey.  Electric-powered heating methods in this category could cost R240 or more to run for 24 hours.

Using Air-Conditioning as Your Heat Source

As with the aforementioned options, air-conditioning units use an immense amount of power to function.  Large units might be the most efficient in terms of heating up big areas, but they are definitely not easy on the pocket to run.

The efficiency of an AC unit depends on the size, which can between 9000 BTU and 36,000 BTU.  The higher the BTU (British Thermal Units), the higher the wattage – and consequently the energy consumption.  The size in terms of BTU that you would need depends on the space, or area that needs to be covered.

A 36,000 BTU AC covers approximately 72m² – roughly the size of a very small one or two bedroom townhouse or apartment – and it uses 3000W.  That equates to around 3 units of electricity per hour.  Run it 24 hours per day and you’re in for almost R190 – surprisingly, a tad cheaper than other electric options.

Is Gas the Answer?

Gaming at our online casino and using electricity-powered heat sources don’t seem to jive.  That is if you want to spend your money at Springbok Casino instead.  There is always gas, right?  Again, purchasing a gas heater won’t leave you dead broke and you can easily pick a decent 3-panel gas heater for under R2000 – but there’s a catch.

A spike in the cost of fuel has a trickledown effect – and as with electricity, gas prices are directly impacted.  Along with just about every consumer item on the market, gas prices are at a record high.  To refill a 9 KG gas bottle can cost R330 or more – depending on the supplier and region – versus R200 a year ago.

A regular 3-panel gas heater has a 0.306 kg/h of lpg (liquefied petroleum gas) consumption, give or take.  This means that a 9 KG bottle of gas will last around 29 and a half hours.  That calculates to nearly R270 for 24 hours of heat!  Imagine how many reel spins that could fund at our online casino, especially at a low stake…

What About Wood?

After considering all the alternatives, surely wood must be the ultimate solution?  Firstly, very few homes in South Africa have fireplaces.  You might find more fireplaces in the Western Cape or old houses in Gauteng – but as for it being a typical feature, this is not the case at all.  Having a fireplace installed post-construction will also set you back a fair bit.

Then there is the matter of keeping the fire going.  Unlike our online casino which requires minimal resources and provides 24-hour entertainment with the propensity to make you money, a fireplace can be all but a money pit.

Now, lets look at the cost to keep a fireplace fire going.  Blue Gum, aka Eucalyptus, is a prized hardwood that is readily available, and since it is seen as an invasive species, it has become a fireplace staple.  Black Wattle, Rooikrans, Kameeldoring, Sekelbos and Mopane are other options.

At an average cost of R1.80 per piece of wood, and about 4 to 6 pieces (or more) needed to maintain a fire per hour, using wood as your heat source is not cheap.  Add to that firestarter wood and firelighters such as Blitz, and you’re looking at around R20 per hour to keep your home nice and toasty.

As much as we love the idea of gaming at our online casino South Africa in front of an inviting fire – when it comes to being economically feasible, wood doesn’t cut it either.  Unless you’re prepared to fork out approximately R240 per day to keep that fire alight!

Raise Your Body Temperature & Fire Up Springbok Online Casino!

We might not experience harsh -40 °C weather that some countries do, but sub-zero temperatures in the dead of winter are not uncommon.  Throw in the occasional snow on the Hogsback or Drakensberg mountains, or white winters in Ceres, Worchester and Tulbagh, and our ill-equipped homes and wardrobes can make it feel like Russia in January.

Unfortunately, there is no ‘cheap’ way to heat up your home, which leaves us with one final suggestion.  Keep yourself warm!  Buy some thermal leggings, thermal vests, a fluffy robe, fluffy socks and woollen beanies from Woollies – and get inexpensive fleece blankets, hot water bottles or microwavable bean bags from Mr Price Home or Ackermans.

These little investments can be used winter in and winter out – and apart from the initial outlay, there are no running costs at all.  If you want to save your rands and cents to bet, play and win at Springbok Online Casino, the most cost-effective way to keep warm is by raising your body temperature.

If you happen to bag a mega jackpot at Springbok Casino, or you’re a creature of comfort-over-cost, then by all means, light that fire or power up that AC!  The only alternative is thermals, ‘fluffies’ and a hot cup of Milo…  Try it.  It is the perfect inexpensive companion for warm and extended gaming sessions at Springbok online casino!