Woqod, the sole supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country, has been encouraging customers to move over to Shafaf, the state-of-the- art , modern and high-tech LPG filling cylinders. Woqod is the regional pioneer in adopting these cylinders for the filling and distribution of cooking gas in Qatar.
Inquiries with the Sidra stores at Woqod fuel stations where Shafaf is sold, revealed that there has been a growing demand for the modern cylinders. The salesmen at these stores said more people are visiting the stores to exchange their metal cylinders with Shafaf, which are made from a fiberglass and plastic composite. Each empty cylinder weighs only 5 kg, that is half the weight of regular steel cylinders; thus these cylinders are easy to carry and use.
One of the vendors at a Sidra store said: “The campaign to promote Shafaf is doing well. People who exchange the metal cylinder with a Shafaf cylinder can now get a QR 100 discount. From these customers , we are charging only QR 265, instead of QR 365 which is the normal price of an empty Shafaf cylinder. Anyone can go to a Sidra store and get their cylinders exchanged.”
Another vendor at a store said that the number of people who exchange the metal cylinders has gone up recently. “Daily, we come across 4-5 people who want to exchange their steel cylinders. Moreover, newcomers to the country are always going for the Shafaf cylinders. The current exchange offer will come to an end by September 30.”
Of late, several residents have been complaining about the irregular supply of metal cylinders by the retailers. There have also been unconfirmed news in several media that Woqod will discontinue the metal cylinders in the very near future.
Other than its lightweight , people prefer Shafaf cylinders for various reasons such as safety. Shafaf cylinders are designed with high levels of safety and security in comparison to the previous generation. They are fire proof and do not explode, even in the case of fire. Additionally, these cylinders enable the users to monitor the remaining gas levels so they can replace it promptly.
One customer who was at one of the Sidra stores said that he had recently switched over to Shafaf on account of convenience. “I stay on the second floor of a small villa and carrying a steel cylinder up the stairs is a difficult task. Many a time, the vendors either refuse to carry it to my place or demand more money. In case of urgency, I have to buy and carry the heavy cylinder by myself ,” he explained.
“ Now the retailers have also started supplying the Shafaf cylinders on the door steps which has made it easy for us. We can now avoid frequenting the stores. Since it is transparent, there are no surprises. We know when the gas is going to run out,” added another customer.
Shafaf cylinders are available for consumers in two refill sizes, 12 kg and 6 kg, to fit the various domestic household needs, or to be used outdoors during trips and camping.
Woqod, the sole supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country, has been encouraging customers to move over to Shafaf,
Many residents are switching over to Shafaf, the lightweight and transparent LPG cylinders from the traditional steel cylinders, before the current exchange offer comes to an end on September 30, retailers have disclosed.
