PMUY beneficiaries may continue using around three cylinders a year

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries appear to be shrugging off the high cost of refills and maintaining the same level of annual consumption at around three cylinders a year.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the annualised consumption for this year, based on numbers till September 2021, stands at around 3.7 refills per beneficiary.

This is based on extrapolated data for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder refills, senior officials told Business Standard. But this data will vary closer towards the end of the year, considering fire wood availability.

“Since a complete weaning away from firewood or dung for cooking has not happened, PMUY beneficiaries tend to stack LPG with other forms of fuel to meet their requirements. During the rainy season, dry wood availability becomes an issue and LPG consumption gains,” an oil ministry official said.