CompareEnergyPrices advocates safe use of LPG

To ensure safe use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), consumers should ensure proper ventilation in kitchens, never leave cooking facility unattended to as the cooking vessel could overflow and extinguish the burners causing gas leaks and to never use open flames to detect leaks.

These warnings were sounded by compareenergyprices.ng, Nigeria’s first energy products e-commerce website launched on March 7. The company said it is currently embarking on advocacy for safe use of LPG.

Ugonwa Okolo, founder and chief executive officer, compareenergyprices.ng said: “Along with our website where deregulated petroleum products such as diesel, cooking gas and aviation fuel can be ordered by individuals and organisations, we have also set up a blog where we place information that will benefit our consumers. We want to help spread the message about safe use of LPG hence this public awareness advocacy.”

Consumers were also urged to never place flammable plastic items near the flame and to always store the LPG cylinder in an uptight position, away from other combustible and flammable materials

To check for leaks, the company encouraged the public to apply soap solution on cylinder joints. The appearance of soap bubbles indicates leak points.

Practical steps to take upon perceiving LPG smell inside a home, includes turning off gas appliances and supply at the LPG cylinders, opening doors and windows to aerate the space and leave electrical appliances as they are since a flick on or off can cause a spark.

LPG is a colourless odourless liquid which readily evaporates into gas. LPG (either Butane or Propane), is generally stored and distributed as a liquid and it is widely used for process and space heating, cooking and automotive propulsion.   It is classified as highly flammable and if it contains more than 0.1%Butadiene. LPG is non-corrosive but can dissolve lubricants, certain plastics or synthetic rubbers.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), an umbrella body of all stakeholders in the LPG sector in Nigeria, has called for increased usage of LPG noting that the use of Biomass is increasing risks for human health and the environment in a study it published citing World Health Organisation (WHO) as source.

It observed that while Nigeria’s population has been growing at 2.7 percent per year, use of clean energy (gas) has followed the same trajectory. However the number of households using biomass mostly wood has gone from 70 million to 120 million in 20 years.

Okolo also stated that while the compareenergyprices.ng has witnessed increased traffic with as many as 50 dealers signed up already, they were working hard to build the confidence of corporate organisations and domestic consumers to actually buy directly from the dealers on the website rather than just browse for prices.

 

ISAAC ANYAOGU