Suppliers of gas cylinders for heating have run out of stock after this week’s cold spell and customers in Johannesburg and other inland and KwaZulu-Natal regions have been turned away empty-handed, media reports said on Wednesday.
Liquid-gas supplier Afrox is experiencing an unprecedented demand for gas, resulting in the shortages, the company said.
Afrox said the demand and supply imbalance of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the regions is an ”industry-wide problem”.
Reasons for the shortages are ”the unprecedented demand experienced as a result of erratic electricity supply, as well as the early and extremely cold winter”, it said in a statement on Wednesday.
”Two of the country’s refineries, Enref and Sapref, are down. These are both in KwaZulu-Natal. As a result, a national supply imbalance of gas has occurred. The other refineries, Sasol, Chevron and PetroSA, are endeavouring to assist, but both road and rail logistical pressures have occurred,” said the statement.
According to Talk Radio 702, Johannesburg has seen major demand for 9kg gas cylinders, which are mainly used for heating, but these are in short supply in the city.
Afrox currently has 150 000 9kg cylinders on order and these are being delivered and added to its already extensive cylinder holding, said the company.
”These will ease the supply situation, especially for heating. Afrox is working around the clock to get these cylinders into circulation and to ensure minimal disruption to major customers,” said the statement.
Garreth Cohen, a salesperson at the Gas Company in Centurion, told the Mail & Guardian Online that the company is experiencing a shortage of 9kg cylinders in particular.
”We are experiencing a shortage of the 9kg cylinders. We are all working on a one-to-one basis: customers can bring in their empty cylinders and we will issue them with a full cylinder. In that way we don’t have a shortage during winter,” he said.
Cohen said many people have tried to purchase gas cylinders this week, and in the past two days ”we’ve sold 100 roll-about heaters”. — Sapa