Zimbabwe's Domestic Consumption Of Gas Rises 14-fold
Since 2012, domestic consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Zimbabwe has surged nearly 14-fold.
Annual household consumption has risen from approximately five million kilogrammes to 70 million kilogrammes.
Edington Mazambani, Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), said this dramatic increase reflects the growing preference for LPG as a cleaner and more efficient fuel for cooking and heating. Said Mazambani (via The Sunday News):
Consumption of LP gas is improving significantly. When we started the statistics in 2012, we were consuming about five million kilogrammes, now, we are upwards of 70 million kilogrammes per annum.
This year, our consumption is in excess of 70 million kilograms, up from last year when we were just below 70 million kilogrammes.
We have had a deliberate approach to encourage the use of LP gas as a source of energy for heating and cooking.
We started off by training users of LPG on safe use because there was a misconception that gas is dangerous to use.
We had to demystify and encourage people that if you use the gas safely, it can be a good source of energy.
We then went further and encouraged the players through training at commercial and retail levels, focusing on the issue of safety, but at the same time also conscientising both players and consumers that LPG is a better source of energy.
Although the increased use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has the potential to reduce electricity consumption by up to 60 per cent, Zimbabweans are turning to LPG primarily due to persistent electricity shortages rather than its environmental benefits.
Currently, many Zimbabweans face daily power outages lasting up to 15 hours, leaving them with little choice but to rely on LPG despite its high cost.
The frequent power disruptions during daytime hours have made LPG a necessary alternative for cooking and heating.
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