LPG consumption dips in April; reaches April 2020 level

Their wallets hit hard, a vast majority of Indians have curtailed their expenditure due to the pandemic. Most of them are also cooking less. Government data shows that the consumption of LPF cylinders has fallen in April this year drastically to reach the level of April 2020, the first month of countrywide lockdown.

The LPG consumption last month was to the tune of 2,114,000 tonnes, while that in April last year was 2,112,000 tonnes, data from Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, an arm of the ministry of petroleum shows.

Though most citizens across the country are curtailing unnecessary expenditure during the second surge of the infection, most families consider kitchen expenses as the last item to rationalise.

Second lowest
In fact, the April 2021 figure is the second lowest in the past 13 months. Only in June 2020 has the consumption been lower at 2,063,000 tonnes.

The two highest months of consumption were reported in December and January when the figures were 2,529,000 and 2,493,000 tonnes respectively. The high demand is attributed to heating requirements in the peak winter months.

The April 2021 figures are 16.4% lower than the consumption in December last year.

Monthly average
Last month’s consumption is also 8% lower than the average monthly consumption of LPG in FY21 which was 2,299,250 tonnes.

“In 2020 for a few months I did not have work. I had to curtail even essential expenditure. I used to cook once a day instead of two times. Since April this year, I have again switched to minimal use of the kitchen,” said Leela Shaw, a domestic help in Kolkata, who lost most of her employment opportunities as the infection surged this year.

29 crore consumers
The number of LPG consumers in the country is about 29 crore.

“After the successful Ujjwala scheme, households without LPG are very less in India. We have around 29 crore households with LPG connections,” the oil secretary told the media in end February.

The Centre has planned 1 crore more free LPG connections in 2 years. The free LPG connection scheme titled Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is designed to benefit underprivileged families who used to cook using other fuels such as coal and firewood that emit smoke and trigger various ailments among the women who are usually in charge of the kitchen.

India imports most of its LPG requirements.