14 DEC – Sale of commercial LPG cylinders remains low since Covid lockdown

HYDERABAD: The consumption of 19 kg commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders remains low in the city, even months after lockdown norms for hospitality and other sectors were relaxed.

Soon after the lockdown was put in place in the State, the sale of commercial LPG cylinders went down by 90 per cent. According to the data available with the Telangana LPG Dealers Association, compared to last year, the decline in consumption of commercial LPG was around 84 per cent in April, 61 per cent in May, and has been 40 per cent for the past few months.

However, market players state that while the sale of commercial cylinders is still historically low, there seem to be signs of recovery. “While there has been some relief for the market, it has still not fully recovered. From a huge 90 per cent dip during the start of the pandemic, it has reached a stagnant 40 per cent for the past few months,” said Telangana LPG Dealers Association general secretary Jagan Mohan Reddy. He added that the Telangana market was not an exception as commercial LPG sales were low across the country.

“Commercial sales are still low as many employees of many offices are working from home, and many hotels, roadside eateries and hostels have been either shut or are non-functional due to the lockdown. Sales will definitely go up when they reopen,” said a member of the Association.

Meanwhile, the city, which has more than 45 lakh gas connections, has seen an increase in the sale of 14.2 kg LPG cylinders used for domestic purposes.

Signs of recovery

Market players state that while the sale of commercial cylinders is still historically low, there seem to be signs of recovery. “From a huge 90 per cent dip during the start of the pandemic, it has reached a stagnant 40 per cent for the past few months,” said Telangana LPG Dealers Association secretary Jagan Mohan Reddy

NIE