By Nobleman Runyanga
The ongoing electricity supply challenges have the revived the fortunes of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas retailers, the Harare Post has established.
The sector was dealt a body blow when load shedding, which is the main demand driver for the imported commodity, ended back in December 2015. The period saw the demand for LP gas waning as the majority of urban households depended on electricity for cooking. The dwindling water levels in the Kariba Dam, which powers one of Zimbabwe’s major power stations, forced the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), to resort to load shedding since May this year, to manage the demand for electricity which peaks in winter.
“Yes, we have seen an increase in sales since the beginning of the load shedding about two months ago,” said an attendant at an LP gas distribution facility at the Westgate shopping mall in western Harare who refused to be identified.
“The demand has seen us also supplying corporate customers such as Pick N Pay who use it to power their deli department and to complement their generator which covers areas such as lighting and IT systems,” he said.
“While we cannot celebrate the electricity challenges which we are facing as a nation, we have seen increased demand for LP gas and this means business for us,” said another attendant at an LP gas outlet at the Bluff Hill Industrial Area.
“Before the return of load shedding, my employer had laid me off due to low demand for the gas. I was vending for a living until he called me back last month,” he said.
“I use LP gas as it is efficient and provides good value for money compared to the sources of fuel such as firewood,” said Philia Ruwodo who was one of the 26 people who were awaiting their turn at the Westgate facility.
“Even when electricity is available, I regularly use LP gas as a way of managing my bill. During this time of load shedding, it provides an energy alternative which does not have issues with the law as is the case with firewood. I, however, feel that Government could subsidise it to make it more affordable so that many families could use it for cooking and reduce the national demand for electricity,” said Mrs Ellen Chawarika, a teacher in the Marlborough area.
