Sharp decline in India's LPG consumption; Families shift to alternative fuels

NEW DELHI: Amid the war situation in West Asia, India had been facing an acute shortage of LPG. Consumers had to wait for months to get cylinders in some cases. Disruptions in supply even forced hotels and other establishments to return to traditional firewood stoves. Now, reports indicate that LPG consumption in India has fallen sharply during this period.

According to data released by the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India’s LPG consumption declined by 16%. LPG consumption, which stood at 13.4 million tonnes during April-August of the previous financial year, fell to 11.3 million tonnes during the same period this year. The decline is attributed to disruptions in LPG supplies, which have accelerated efforts to switch to piped natural gas (PNG).

Authorities are also taking steps to speed up the availability of PNG across the country. The Petroleum Ministry has asked states and Union Territories to provide support through district-level administrations to accelerate the shift from LPG to PNG. They have also been asked to appoint nodal officers to coordinate with gas suppliers and oil marketing companies.

Petroleum Secretary Neeraj Mittal, in a letter to state chief secretaries, said PNG can play a crucial role in reducing the logistical burden associated with LPG distribution, improving convenience for consumers and advancing India’s energy transition. Meantime, while LPG consumption declined, petrol and diesel consumption increased by 6.4% and 4.3%, respectively. India’s petrol consumption rose from 17.8 million tonnes in the previous financial year to 18.9 million tonnes, while diesel consumption increased from 38.9 million tonnes to 40.5 million tonnes.