Slight rise in demand for UPS, generators: load shedding announced

There has been a slight increase in the demand for uninterrupted power supply (UPS) units and generators even after the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) announced the load-shedding schedule as people find it very difficult to purchase backup power systems at a time when they are hard-pressed.
Vendors said that sale of UPS and generators had been almost zero for the past few months since there was no interruption in the power supply. "However, few days ago, the demand for back-up power supplies increased, since everyone was anticipating power outage this summer. The announcement of load management has increased the demand." This year, UPS prices range between Rs 8,000 and Rs 13,000, depending upon capacity.
For a local 500 watts UPS, which is sufficient for two tube lights and two fans, the price ranges between Rs 8,500 and Rs 9000, and Chinese UPS of 600 watts will cost Rs 8,000. In the range of 1000 watts and plus, a local UPS is tagged at Rs 13,000 and the Chinese UPS at Rs 11,000. In addition to this, buyers have to bear the cost of a battery (attached with UPS for back-up power supply), which cost around Rs 6,000. Thus, a total cost of 500 watts UPS is around Rs 14,000. Battery dealers anticipate a rise in its price with UPS rising demand.
Hafiz Awais of Al Madinah, a dealer of imported UPS, said demand for Chinese UPS is picking up slowly and he was optimist that it would increase when the duration of load shedding increases. "Prices are static at the moment as old stock is being sold. These prices are similar to that of last year, but it could increase if the demand for UPS surges," he added.
Ahmed, a manufacturer of UPS said that although there was a demand for UPS, but it was nominal. He said at present, the people were least interested in UPS, as shrinking purchasing power was hampering its sales. He observed that an average unit cost around Rs 14,000 and it was beyond the reach of an average citizen. "Also, many people have turned to generators, since UPS had failed to provide relief to the public during the extended hours of load shedding. Consumers say that they have been unable to charge their UPS as electricity was cut frequently," he said.
Dealers of generators told a similar story and said that sale of generators was slow a few weeks ago, but picked up with the announcement of load shedding. The price of a generator ranges between Rs 9,000 and Rs 31,000. A one KVA generator (enough to power three tube lights and three fans) costs Rs 9,000, a two KVA generator ranges between Rs 13,500 and Rs 15,500, a three KVA generator is sold between Rs 21,500 and Rs 24,500 and a five KVA generator, which also powers an air-conditioner costs between Rs 28,000 and 37,000.
A dealer said these prices were of old stock and the sales were slow. He was of the view that rising prices of everyday goods have created a dent in the purchasing power of people, and hence they have to contemplate between buying a generator and meeting everyday expenses. He anticipated a rise in the price of generators once the old stock was sold out. "Change in the exchange rate and rise in cost of manufacturing will push up the price of fresh stock of generators," he said.