Where to buy electricity

We're trying to get used to the fact that we have to buy our electricity before we actually use it. Most rental units come equipped with a device that indicates whether or not the consumer has any available power. The power is purchased by, in our case going down to the local Shell station and presenting a card with our erf number (somewhat of the equivalent of an account number). We're then given a receipt that has a code as long as the Nile. These numbers are then entered into the device that is installed in our entryway. The device has a key pad for entering the proper code. When there is an abundance of electricity the green light appears next to the happy face. When power is getting low, the light turns yellow but still appears near the happy face. The light goes red and appears next to the frowny face when the supply is low. One of our acquaintances told a funny story about the time she forget to check her "meter" and she was down to .5 units at 9:30 on a Sunday evening. Not many things are open on Sundays period much less so late in the evening. So, she left her kids in the house under strick orders not to run anything electrical until she got back. Fortunately, she did find a place that was open. She was worried though that upon her return, there'd be no electricity left to operate her security gate and she'd be locked out. She was thrilled when she got back and there was still .2 units left. Too close for comfort.

Electricity is relatively cheap here at least for those of us who are getting paid in a strong currency. Last month we only spent 400$ Namibian, about $40 American. Of course, we haven't been running the air conditioners and that helps. I am hoping that this experience helps to make my kids realize what a precious commodity power is and not take it for granted. They can actually see the face go from happy to sad and watch us scramble to get more power (we're not always on top of the situation) when we realize we're low. Wouldn't want to lose the contents of the refrigerator to our negilence!