Energy-efficient appliances can help avert gas crisis in winter

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Mansoor Ahmad
AFTER braving the electricity crisis, the gas consumers in the province should get ready for a gas crunch during the winter accompanied by inflated bills if the injudicious use of gas continues through inefficient gas appliances.

Gas shortage occurs in Punjab and the NWFP during the winter as its consumption exceeds the supplies available in Sui Northern Gas Pipeline System (SNGPS). The absence of new discoveries and higher cost of alternate fuels demand the gas consumers rationalise the use of the natural resource that becomes too costly corresponding to the more usage.

Domestic consumers always complain about inflated gas billing during the winter. The gas rates in recent months have been raised in such a manner that higher consumption would be subjected to very high tariff.

Those consumers who used to receive gas bills of Rs3,000-4,000 should remain prepared, despite consuming the same level of gas, to get bills worth more than Rs6,000 and Rs8,000. The domestic consumers would have no option but to pay the bills or go for gas conservation methods.

They must bear in mind that the levels of protests seen against the inflated power bills were due to the fact that 80 per cent of the population had access to electricity. In case of natural gas, the access is limited to only 18 per cent of the total population, majority of which belongs to the middle and richer classes in the urban areas. These segments of society rarely come out to take part in protests or demonstrations.

Natural gas experts warn that gas burners used in kitchens are inefficient. These burners waste 55-60 per cent of the gas consumed, thereby almost doubling gas bills. The experts say that the provincial government should ensure the elimination of substandard burners, which should be replaced by efficient burners of the international.

Daily consumption of kitchen gas burners in Punjab and the NWFP is 200 MMFCFD per day. The consumption could be reduced to half with thermally efficient gas burners. The gas bills would also be correspondingly reduced. The natural gas experts point out that water geysers available in the local markets are even more thermally inefficient. The available geysers consume only 30-31 per cent of the gas supplied while wasting the rest.

Since these geysers have large burners they consume more gas, the experts say, adding that the wastage of almost 70 per cent gas due to thermal inefficiency of the geysers inflates the gas bills. The geysers are used during the winter while consuming more per day gas that could be saved if instant gas geysers are used. Use of solar geysers could reduce the consumption of gas by 100 per cent.

Moreover, according to SNGPL, a geyser, while keeping its thermostat very high, consumes 14 times more gas than a gas stove used for the same purpose. It thermostat is kept at warm, the consumption would be nine times higher than the gas stove. Even the instant water geyser consumes six times more gas than a gas stove.

According to energy experts, gas heaters available in the market are not only thermally inefficient but are hazardous to health as well. These heaters have 30-31 per cent thermal efficiency and in closed rooms, they consume most of the oxygen and moister. Energy efficient gas heaters could reduce the gas consumption to 125 MMSFD.

Energy conservation is beneficial for the consumers as well as for the country. The gas, saved in this way, could be used to run power stations, industry and vehicles without importing gas or furnace oil.

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