New brand of Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG) cylinders has been rolled out by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). This new brand of LPG cylinder, dubbed, ‘Indane Composite Cylinders’, is essentially an attempt by the state-owned oil company to make for a lighter end-product that also allows customers to easily plan their next refill with ease. This is a significant step from the traditional, heavy steel canisters that customers have grown used to over the years.
What is an LPG Composite Cylinder?
It is basically a triple-layered cylinder that has a blow-moulded High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) lining as the first, innermost layer. The second layer is a composite layer of polymer-wrapped fibreglass. The last layer to the LPG composite cylinder is an HDPE outer jacket.
The Advantages of an LPG Composite Cylinder
Compared to its steel predecessor, the LPG composite cylinder is much lighter, half as much in fact, according to the IOCL website. The note regarding the new cylinder states that the tare weight of the composite cylinder is half of its steel counterpart.
It also comes with a translucent body. This is how customers can visually check and see their gas usage and levels against the light. The cylinder is made in such a manner to make the lives of customers easier by helping them plan their next refill more easily. Thanks to its HDPE make-up, the cylinders won’t rust like the conventional steel ones. This brings down the stains and marks it leaves behind as well. It has also been designed with a modernised kitchen in mind so it fits into place, in an aesthetical manner.
Where is the LPG Composite Cylinder Available?
The cylinder is currently only available in a select few cities such as in Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Faridabad & Ludhiana. The IOCL announced that it will soon be available across the nation. In the cities that it is currently available in, the cylinder comes in two variations – the 5 Kg and 10 Kg size.
Replacing Existing Steel Cylinders with LPG Composite Cylinder
Customers can replace the existing LPG steel cylinders with composite cylinders. All they have to do is pay the difference in a security deposit. As it stands, the security deposit for these cylinders in the non-subsidized category is Rs. 3350 for the 10 Kg variant and Rs. 2150 for the 5 Kg variant.
LPG Composite Cylinder: Price and How to Book
Only one of the variations of the composite cylinder is available for the FTL category. At present, the 5 Kg composite cylinder is available as an FTL composite cylinder at a price point of Rs 2,537 plus Goods and Services Tax (GST). The cost of the refills will vary depending on the periodical refills and the locations. Speaking of which, both the 10 Kg and 5 Kg variants have the provision to be home-delivered to customers.
It should be noted that the price of LPG cylinders has been hiked this month. LPG cylinder prices went up by Rs 25.00 for the 14.2 kg cylinders and Rs 75 for the 19 kg cylinders. This new price came into effect as of 1 July. The domestic LPG cylinders weighing 14.2 kgs costs Rs 809.00 in Delhi and Mumbai. In Chennai, the cost is Rs 825, while the same in Kolkata costs Rs 835.50. The 19kg LPG cylinders cost Rs 1473.50 in Delhi. Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai stand at Rs 1544.50, Rs 1422.50, Rs 1603.00 per cylinder respectively, since that change.
