Karnataka - Mangalore   

Households can save up to 30 per cent of LPG

MANGALORE: Even as households have begun to feel the heat due to the hike in the prices of LPG cylinders which now cost Rs. 51.55 more, the only way they can reduce the burden is make the LPG last longer.

The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) set up by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, says that households can save up to 30 per cent of cooking gas or kerosene by taking some simple precautions.

This was established through a series of experiments in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (R&D Center), and the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering & Applied Nutrition, New Delhi.

First of all, PCRA suggests avoiding an idle flame. Keep all materials required for cooking within reach, before lighting the stove, and put off an idle flame at once. “Even a few paise saved every day will amount to a sizeable saving by the end of the month,” the PCRA website ( www.pcra.org) says. On the other hand, a flame touching the sides of the vessel wastes fuel since it gives out heat. But if you cover the flame by using a broad vessel you can save fuel. The sources at PCRA say that its tests have established that for most stoves, a vessel of 25 cm diameter is ideal for cooking as it covers the flame completely. If the vessel is narrower, reduce the flame.

Another point is that heat escapes from the vessel if it is not covered with a lid. A vessel with an opening of 100 sq cm wastes 7.2 grams of gas each hour at 96 degrees Celsius. The heat loss is nearly double if there is a breeze.

The small burner consumes six to ten per cent less gas when compared with the bigger burner. After conducting an experiment it was noticed that it took seven minutes more to cook quarter kg of potatoes on a small burner but it consumed 6.5 per cent less gas.

Gar burners which are clogged with soot increase fuel consumption. Therefore it is advisable to clean the burners regularly. Pressure cooking is one of the fastest and most economical ways of cooking.

Experiments by PCRA have shown that savings on fuel when cooking rice was 20 per cent, 46 per cent when cooking gram dal and 41.5 per cent when cooking meat. Another advantage of using a pressure cooker is that you can simultaneously cook different foods.

An experiment on cooking rice with double the required quantity of water revealed that fuel consumption increased by 65 per cent. Therefore one should use only the required quantity of water for cooking.

Other experiments showed that cooking 250 grams of kabuli channa (chik peas) consumed 22 per cent less gas.

The PCRA also says that a family should eat together thereby avoiding repeatedly warming up the food.

Allowing frozen food to gain room temperature before cooking also saves fuel, says PCRA.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A mobile phone that speaks Kannada
Kanakadasa Research Centre in Mangalore varsity
Households can save up to 30 per cent of LPG
A small step can make a difference
There is no rush to buy auto LPG kits
Former Chairman of Karnataka Bank dead

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu