Demand for power back-up systems increase in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: The demand of uninterrupted power supply (UPS) units, batteries, power inverters and generators has increased manifold due to increasing power outages in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

According to the latest market trends, a small generator, used in houses and shops, is being sold from Rs32,000 to Rs36,000 while the price of heavy-duty generators, used for running air-conditioners, is between Rs90,000 and 150,000.

Khursheed Abbasi, a dealer at the Fawara Chowk, said this year the demand for locally manufactured UPS has doubled while Chinese UPS are facing less demand due to their high cost and high repairing charges. "Diesel generators incur Rs30 per unit compared to gas generators running at Rs7.5 per unit.  The demand for back-up power supplies has increased due to loadshedding and frequent power failures," he said.

Another dealer Sadiq Jan said the markets have been flooded with substandard UPS and secondhand generators and even worse are the locally manufactured UPS units that come without safety devices/instructions and energy-saving components.  The environmentalists have also warned the people that use of UPS in homes results in poor indoor air quality because the acid inside the lead battery gives off vapours and fumes that collect in one place, which can cause serious health concerns.