A growing number of households are turning to electrical appliances for cooking in an effort to curb LPG consumption.
Many families said they may have to cut their dependence on LPG even further following the latest price hike, which came into effect on Sunday.
The price of domestic LPG has been increased by ₹29 per cylinder, the second hike in three months. In Calcutta, the cost of a 14.2kg Indane LPG cylinder has gone up from ₹939 to ₹968.
Several households said they had already begun relying more on induction cooktops, rice cookers and other electric appliances after the conflict in West Asia erupted on February 28, amid concerns over rising fuel prices.
In March, the impact was on commercial cylinders, impacting hoteliers and restaurateurs. But domestic users had resorted to panic booking, apprehending a supply deficit, leading to server crashes.
Nupur Ghosh uses LPG “sparingly”, and for most time-consuming cooking she has shifted to electrical appliances.
“I use an electrical pressure cooker and induction top for cooking. For heating, I use a microwave, and tea is made in an electric kettle. This way I have been able to reduce my dependency on LPG,” said Ghosh, a resident of Gurusaday Dutt Road.
One cylinder lasts her three months for a family of three, she said.
“It was during the West Asia war that I decided to change to alternative modes of cooking, apprehensive that things might prolong,” said Ghosh.
On average, a family consumes nine to 10 LPG cylinders a year, said a city-based distributor.
“In households with lower consumption, especially those that frequently order food from outside, six to seven cylinders may be enough for the entire year,” the distributor said.
Angela Ghosh, 68, a retired schoolteacher, said the rising prices of LPG, vegetables and petrol have had a cumulative impact on middle-class families.
“The middle class is bearing the brunt. My income is not going to increase, but I still have to raise the salaries of domestic helps and cannot do without them. They too are struggling because they have responsibilities such as educating their children,” she said.
“The cook tends to use a lot of LPG, so I taught her how to use the induction cooktop and air fryer. I still need the gas burner for rotis, but I have asked her to split the cooking between LPG and induction. For instance, fish is fried on the induction cooktop, while the curry is prepared on the gas burner,” Angela said.
The rising cost of cooking fuel has also prompted many households to trim their daily menus.
“One has to budget somehow. In our family, fritters are a regular accompaniment to rice and dal. Besides that, there is usually a vegetable dish and fish or chicken. I have told my children that fritters cannot be made every day anymore,” said a Baguiati resident in her 60s.
In many households, women are adjusting menus and cooking practices to cope with the higher cost of LPG.
Anjali Dai, a cook who lives in Diamond Harbour, said she now relies largely on rice, boiled potatoes and eggs for daily meals, often cooking with firewood.
Dai collects wood from her mother’s home in Baruipur, stores it and uses it to prepare meals for her husband, son and herself.
“Everything can be cooked at one go,” she said.