Economic Hardship

Yes, we too have been affected by the rising prices of gas and oil. Earlier, household expenses somehow managed, but now it's difficult to manage the budget every month. With gas cylinders becoming expensive, we use them very carefully. We try to use less gas and cook food quickly. With petrol-diesel becoming expensive, the cost of commuting to farms, markets, and jobs has also increased. Many people are now using shared vehicles or public transport to save some money. The impact of inflation is directly affecting family savings. We want the government and concerned departments to find a good solution as soon as possible, so that the lives of common people can become a little easier.

— Kumari Ankita · Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh

In this expensive era, it is difficult to do a good business with twenty thousand rupees, but a small business can be done.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

We use LPG cylinder for our household use. The 15 kg cylinder however now costs about rs 1200. Earlier it was about 950. I live in a family of 5 and earn only 6000 per month. Out of this I support my two kids who are in school and college , medicines for my mother in law and other bills. This hike of 300 rs might seem small to a lot of people, but to us it has impacted our household budget a lot, We are still planning to figure out how to adjust this inflation in our budget without cutting down much on our regular expenses. We can think of switching to electric induction stove as we have subsidized electricity.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

My name is Kolanjaswamy. I am driving a goods vehicle. Due to cash shortage, if I book, it takes about two months. I can't manage anything. Even if I use a firewood stove, the price of firewood has also gone up. I don't know how to survive, everything is very difficult.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

In our area, many families are troubled by rising fuel prices. The increased cost of gas cylinders has raised expenses for poor and middle-class people. Some have changed their cooking methods to save gas, while others are using wood or other cheaper alternatives. The rise in petrol and diesel prices has also increased fares for buses, autos, and freight transport. This is also affecting the prices of vegetables, groceries, and other essential items. People are now traveling only when necessary and trying to cut down on expenses. If the government provides some relief or controls prices, the common public would benefit greatly.

— Kumari Ankita · Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh

Due to living conditions

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Due to the shortage of LPG, our work has been greatly affected. We run a fast-food shop, so we need gas daily for that. And because of LPG gases, the price of gas for commercial usage has increased from 1000 to 3-4000 rupees, which makes it very difficult for us to procure it. This has also affected our work, and we have had to increase the prices of our items. What we used to sell for 30, we now sell for 40-50 after making it, because the price of LPG has become expensive, so things will also become expensive for us.

— Anshika Saxena · Kichha, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand

Response 1: We have been badly affected by the LPG situation here in Kannur. Our last cylinder took almost 6 weeks to arrive. In between we managed with an old kerosene stove the smell and smoke was awful. The price has gone up so much compared to even last year, it's really straining our monthly budget.Response 2: My neighbour runs a small bakery and he says fuel costs are killing his business slowly. He needs two cylinders a month minimum and each refill costs more than the last. He's had to cut down on home deliveries because petrol for his bike is also too expensive now.Response 3: At home we've started being very careful. We use the electric kettle and induction stove for small things and save the gas only for proper cooking. My father drives an auto rickshaw and the petrol price increase has really hit his daily earnings. He used to save something every month but these days it's barely enough. We're hoping things improve soon.

— Shalin Sanish · Kumbam, Kannur, Kerala

Response 1 – Homemaker: The price of LPG cylinders has become quite high and affects our monthly budget. Sometimes we think about using a wood-fired stove to save money, but during summer the heat and smoke make it very uncomfortable. We try to use LPG carefully and avoid wastage. Response 2 – Auto Driver: The increase in petrol prices directly affects my daily income. Fuel expenses have gone up, but earnings have not increased at the same rate. I avoid unnecessary trips and plan my routes carefully to reduce fuel consumption. Response 3 – Retired School Teacher: I have not experienced any LPG shortage, but rising fuel prices affect everyone. Transportation costs have increased, and the prices of vegetables and other essential goods have also gone up. Families have to spend more on daily necessities than before

— Devadharshini S · Kappalur, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

My name is Thanapalu. The cylinder is not easily available. They are making us wait for 45 to 50 days. Since the cylinder is not readily available, we are cooking on other stoves. They are not even providing the cylinder properly. The price has also gone up. It's a bit difficult. Other stoves are also not easily available. We are unable to cook food in any other way. And it's raining like this. It's a bit difficult. I don't know what to do. It would be fine if we got cash easily. All the prices have gone up. Even with increased prices, they are not giving it properly, they are not delivering. Anyway, they are making us wait for 50 to 60 days. It's a bit difficult.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

I am Lakshmanarayanan. I am a weaver. Now, due to the gas shortage, cooking is very difficult. Now, we have to buy firewood from nearby to cook. They have also increased the price of firewood due to the shortage. So, it's very difficult now. Now, it's the rainy season. During the rainy season, from 5-6 PM, strong winds blow. It rains. So, cooking with firewood is a bit difficult. If there wasn't this gas shortage, we could manage a bit. Our weaving business is already going through some difficulties. Now, with this situation, life is becoming a bit harder.

— Divagar N · Parakkalur AD Street, Salem, Tamil Nadu

I am a housewife at home. Gas shortage is very difficult for us. If our gas runs out and we book it, it takes 60 days to get it. Even if we book, it takes more than 10-15 days to get it. Also, because it's sold on the black market, we don't get it properly because it's a village. It's very difficult for firewood. Firewood prices have also increased. Due to gas shortage, firewood prices have also increased a lot, so we can't buy that either. Gas shortage is very difficult for us. Cooking itself is very hard. Don't know what to do.

— Divagar N · Kuppamuthu valavu, Jalakandapuram, Salem

Baldev Singh | 70 yrs The increasing fuel prices are directly effecting farming in our area. The prices of fertilisers, insecticides and other stuff used in farming have increased substantially. Moreover, the price of transportation has also increased. This is causing great problems for the community which is largly dependent on farming. The LPG cylinder rates have also hiked. There is no help from the government.

— Harmanjot Kaur · Rajgarh, Barnala, Punjab

The LPG crisis has definitely affected us because we run a food business. So, we use a commercial cylinder and not a normal household cylinder, and the prices for the commercial cylinder has gone up more than the household one. So, we have to pay extra. We used to buy it in bulk but because the price has risen, we cannot buy so many of them and keep it with us. And to adjust the price we have also increased the prices of our some of our products, which has reduced the inflow of customers.

— Zainab Rizwi · Cornwallis Colony, New Delhi, Unknown

Yes, I've been highly affected due to this crisis and even my business has changed its way of dealing with purchasing and selling cost. Due to shortage of LPG cost of purchasing it has been increased which led me to increase the cost of products of my business. This has affected the number of customers coming to us leading to unsatisfactory profits.

— Anish Toppo · Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

There is a very big shortage of gas in our rural areas. Because of this, we have to work very hard to manage household expenses. Due to the increase in gas prices, we cook on a traditional stove (chulha). We bring fuel from the farm and cook on a chulha. And because the prices of fuel have also increased, we travel on foot.

— Pragati Raut · Akola, Maharashtra

From my experience, there hasn't been a major LPG shortage in our locality, but prices have definitely become a topic of discussion among customers. As a grocery shop owner, I see people paying closer attention to household expenses than before. Fuel costs affect transportation, and when transportation becomes expensive, the prices of vegetables, groceries, and other goods can increase. Customers often ask why prices have gone up, but many of these increases are beyond the control of small shopkeepers. We are trying to keep prices reasonable, but higher fuel costs affect everyone along the supply chain.

— Sanjukta Chanda · Kuthambakkam, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

The higher fuel prices have affected our daily life. The cost of travel and many household items has increased. We now spend more money than before for our daily needs. To save money, we try to avoid unnecessary trips and plan our work carefully. We also use LPG carefully and avoid wasting gas while cooking. This small change helps us manage the rising costs.

— Pragati Raut · Akola, Maharashtra

Yes, this has affected us. In our village, sometimes gas cylinders are not available on time. Also, gas prices have increased a lot, due to which household expenses have risen. So, we use gas sparingly. We cook as much as possible on a stove and only light the gas when there is a great need. The wood obtained from the fields or cow dung cakes are very useful. This saves gas and reduces the stress of increased expenses a little. In this way, we manage this difficulty.

— Pragati Raut · Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra

Due to the war in West Asia, a fuel crisis has arisen in India. It's not that I haven't been affected by it. I have been affected by the news and by hearing that gas will be available much later. So, I have done panic booking. But ultimately, I haven't faced such a problem yet because we always try to use less fuel. But the cost of fuel has increased now. It is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with that cost, to use fuel by meeting that cost. We are trying to cope by using as little fuel as possible.

— Arani Biswas · Bally, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

I am facing the LPG crisis because in my house the food which takes time to cook will not be cooked. Even though my father is facing issues in the industry, he is not getting jobs to do. Due to blocking of the state of hormuz. My mother and brother are working so , we are living on their incomes which is decent to survive.

— Deepak Oraon · Mahua, Vaishali, Bihar

Yes. My family has been affected by the LPG shortage. I have one small hotel, and to run it smoothly we daily use LPG. We daily use LPG cylinders for cooking breakfast, tea, and meals. Now there are delays in getting a new cylinder and also the price are increased. These delays in getting a new cylinder has created a problems in managing my hotel. To deal with LPG shortage problem we try to use the gas carefully and avoid wasting fuel. Sometimes we use wood stove for cooking meals and breakfast. Also I am forced to charge extra money on customers.

— Rohan Shinde · Boorakunte, Sarjapura, Bengaluru Urban

Due to this Iran war, it is very, very, very difficult. Fuel is very scarce. There's no gas. In homes, it's impossible to light a stove. We cannot cook by cutting wood and lighting it. Even if we want to use an electric stove, its price is also continuously increasing. What else can we do? It's very difficult. So, in order to save fuel, we are cooking as sparingly as possible and saving fuel. The fuel that used to last us 25 days, we are now making it last for 40 days. Okay, okay.

— Urvashi Sriraman · Mugalivakkam, Chennai Corporation, Chennai

India has been affected greatly by the rising fuel costs, and I think it's not been managed properly.We do have a large reserve of certain fuels that could have been subsidized and given at lower cost to Indians, but that hasn't been the case and I think the government is also using this as an excuse to inflate costs all around, which I think is unfair.LPG somehow we have been lucky and we have been getting the LPG at least on the last day We cannot book our LPG for a month after we've got the earlier delivery.So the second cylinder is actually literally nullified, so we're working with just one cylinder and moving from cylinder to cylinder.It's quite a precarious situation.But we also have a backup of a wood stove in the backyard and some of the food we cook using the wooden stove.Food for the dogs are cooked on a wooden stove where we burn some firewood and get some of the cooking done.Helpers in our house also cook their food on firewood.

— Aditya Negi · Bengaluru, Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka

Brother (conducted online) "I have noticed my mother becoming more careful about gas usage — reheating food in the microwave, using the pressure cooker more, keeping the flame low. The price burden is real even if we haven't faced outright shortage. But what concerns me more is the long-term picture — if the West Asia conflict continues, fuel prices will keep rising and lower-income households will be hit hardest. My message to our local elected representative is this — please push for faster expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana subsidy coverage in urban areas like Dum Dum, where many working-class families fall just outside the eligibility criteria and receive no relief despite struggling with the same price hikes. Urban energy poverty is real and it deserves the same policy attention that rural energy access gets."

— Yuvikaa Agarwal · South Dumdum, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

In today's era, prices have skyrocketed, wage increase is also absolutely necessary.

— KARUKAR MURMU

Sand and materials for building a house are expensive; construction materials have become so expensive that a poor person cannot even think of building a house.

— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Kharasawan, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand

Effect of the energy crisis and rising fuel costs The increase in fuel and LPG prices has affected many families, including ours. Cooking gas has become more expensive, so we try to use LPG carefully and avoid wastage. In Rourkela, LPG cylinder prices have increased compared to previous months. Due to the high price we use the woods for cooking and so on . rarely use the lpg cylinder. The price of fuel has been increased so we rarely use 4 wheeler or 2 wheeler for short distance.

— Anish Toppo · Rourkela, Sundargarh, Odisha

Yes, we have definitely felt the impact of rising fuel prices. I run a small flower stall, and every day flowers have to be transported from wholesale markets to our area. When diesel and petrol prices go up, transportation charges also increase, and that affects our profit. Regarding LPG, I haven't faced a complete shortage, but the cost of refilling cylinders is a concern for many families. We try to manage expenses carefully and avoid unnecessary travel. Customers are also spending less on non-essential purchases, so indirectly the fuel situation affects small businesses like ours.

— Sanjukta Chanda · Kuthambakkam, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu

Balwinder Kaur | 46 yrs Though the LPG crisis is not that harsh on us, we have still increased the usage of electrical stove. The prices of vegetables and fruits have increased. Not just this but the prices of all basic stuff has increased. The only thing we are focusing on is saving and reducing our energy intake.

— Harmanjot Kaur · Rajgarh, Barnala, Punjab

There is a shortage of machinery in farming. Tractors, threshers, harvesters—everything has to be rented, and the rent is also very high.

— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand

We and the people around us feel more stressed nowadays than before.

— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand

Palwinder Singh | 46 yrs old We are lucky to not experience any immediate effects of the gas shortage as LPG is for household use is made available by the government. Although, there is a price hike of around 60 rupees per cylinder. For us the more direct problem is the increasing fuel prices. This has raised the prices for most of the everyday amenities. There is nothing special we are doing to deal with this other than saving where we can and when we can.

— Harmanjot Kaur · Rajgarh, Barnala, Punjab

Yes, LPG gas cylinders have had a little impact on people. For example, here in our area, cylinders used to be available very easily. Now there is a little difficulty because people have to stand in very long queues to get cylinders, and there has been no change in prices. The price, which was previously ₹923, is now ₹1000. And cylinders are available, but there is nothing like that. And we are getting fuel properly. We can make it very easily.

— Anshika Saxena · Kichha, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand