Gas shortage pushes up demand for instant, hybrid geysers

With nationwide natural gas shortage on the rise and temperatures dropping to single digits in most cities, the demand for non-gas water geysers has increased.

People need warm water especially for their morning baths, but the country has long depended on gas geysers, which have been rendered almost useless amid a worsening gas shortage.

Since a total shift to electric geysers may prove too expensive, many consumers have shown keen interest in hybrid gas-electric geysers as well as small instant geysers.

The hybrid geysers have been made available on the market and the demand continues to rise.

Difference between gas and electric geyser

A geyser is basically a tank made of steel sheets to hold a considerable quantity of water. It is equipped with a thermostat that controls the temperate and switches off the energy source when the desired temperate is attained. 

Most homes in Pakistan use gas geysers due to their low operational cost.

There is another reason for avoiding electric geysers. People believe that an electric geyser could cause an electric shock to the person taking bath if electric-current leaks into the water.

Gas geysers have always been a little cheaper compared to imported electric ones because they are produced in the country. 

Dealers say for years they have sold gas geysers but this year the demand for electric geysers has also picked up.

Mohammad Sohail, a dealer at one of Karachi’s home appliances markets, says the fears about electric shock are unfounded and usually faulty electric wiring, and not the geyser, is responsible for such incidents.

He says a gas geyser costs about Rs2,500 less than an electric geyser, but the price is not a major factor in the demand shift from gas to electric geysers. It is the unavailability of natural gas itself, he says.

Hybrid gas-electric geysers have offered a middle ground to many consumers who want to save on energy bills and avoid cold water at the same time.

Instant geysers

Price becomes a major factor when consumers chose between full-scale geysers and small instant geysers.

The instant geyser cannot supply warm water to several washrooms in the house and has to be switched on each time you go to bath. But it costs around Rs16,000 only.

Instant geysers have small tanks that could hold 10 to 15 litres of water. 

On the other hand, an average hybrid geyser with a 30-gallon storage capacity costs Rs42,000. It can supply warm water to four to five washrooms

A simple gas geyser with a 30-gallon capacity is priced at somewhere between Rs28,700 and Rs 59,400.

What to look for in a geyser

Mohammad Arshad, a shop owner, says the first thing that is seen in geysers is the capacity. Geysers ranging from 15 gallons to 50 gallons of water capacity are available in the market. 

A geyser’s tank is the most important part which is made of the galvanized sheet which, in turn, is coated with a copper chemical to protect it from rust, he said.

The thickness of the galvanized sheet could be between 1.5 mm and 4 mm. Geysers’ radius ranges from 16 inches to 20 inches, while the height ranges from 40 inches to 66 inches.

The price varies depending on the texture, finishing and warranty, according to Arshad.