'Ample supply' of gas

Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter yesterday said there was no need for people to panic and hoard gas cylinders as Enemalta had an ample supply and was regularly receiving consignments of cylinders and gas.

"Enemalta has planned for an increase in demand," he said. "In fact we had a demand for 3,250 new cylinders and supplied them, as compared to 710 cylinders during the same month last year.

"Last year, we ordered 35,000 new cylinders, compared to the 24,000 that Enemalta has ordered annually over the past few years."

Mr Tranter said Enemalta was getting a fortnightly consignment of gas, which was more often than it used to get, and had also agreed with the GRTU and gas distributors on fixed points of sale for gas cylinders.

"The gas bottling plant is operating longer and production has increased by 25 per cent, so there is absolutely no cause for alarm," Mr Tranter said.

"A consignment of 12,000 cylinders is scheduled to arrive next weekend and 11,000 more will arrive at end of the month. We still have a stock of 1,000 new cylinders from the consignment of 11,000 which arrived in October," he said.

"But if there is a run on supplies, if everyone wants an extra cylinder, it is impossible to serve all of our 150,000 clients. It would also be impossible to store so many gas cylinders. So common sense has to prevail," he said.

Mr Tranter pointed out that those selling gas from fixed points did not manage to sell all the stock they had over the past week and this confirms there was ample supply.

Asked about complaints that distributors were not changing old 15 kg cylinders for the new 10 kg ones, Mr Tranter said there was a new procedure and it was taking longer to change old cylinders.

"If one really wants a new one and it's urgent, buy one. But eventually everyone will be able to change the old cylinders for new ones. It's a process to change them all and it takes some time. We can't change them at the press of a button," he said.

"But there is absolutely no need for alarm. There is more than an ample supply of gas and cylinders. People should not hoard them by keeping more than they need. It's also dangerous," he said.