With the price of LPG crossing ₹900 a cylinder, every user is concerned. In the early 1970s, I considered cooking using gas a luxury because of the free firewood from our garden. But it soon became a necessary evil in the houses of many like us.
The demand for domestic cooking gas cylinders steadily increased due to demand from women. The time taken for the supply of refill started to go up due to demand as people, even in rural areas, stopped using free firewood and started to line up for gas refills. The sixth and seventh Pay Commissions put more money in the hands of government employees and this extra money made consumers unmindful of the steady rise in price of gas over the years.
Misuse of subsidised cooking gas cylinders in vehicles also contributed to the increase in demand. With the government at the Centre leaving the price of petrol, diesel and LPG entirely at the hands of the oil companies, the consumer has become the unfortunate victim of circumstances with no option except to swallow the increase in price every time under protest.
Every commodity comes under the simple concept of supply and demand, and LPG is no exception. Once the demand falls, the price must fall. For this, we should see how the Americans live today. They are wise enough to keep a substitute source of energy. For example, despite having an abundant supply of cheap electrical energy, most of the houses in America today also use wood stoves for heating their houses during winter, not fully depending on electrical energy because plenty of wood is available all over the country. What fascinated me during my recent visit to the U.S. was a large crowd in front of a famous restaurant making pizza using firewood as the fuel in front of the customers. When I enquired, an American waiting in the long queue said, “Pizza made of firewood is tasty and healthy.” I was surprised to hear this in a country where microwave ovens are quite common.
Why not try alternative sources of energy? When people in an advanced country like the U.S. do not feel shy of using wood as fuel, what is wrong if we return to kerosene and firewood wherever it is possible, especially in rural areas? We keep a conventional firewood oven in the garden as an alternative for use when the gas refill does not arrive in time. Wisdom lies in using all sources of energy wherever possible instead of depending only on LPG.
