Caught between natural gas shortages in the winter and power cuts in the summer, customers are turning to substitutes to protect themselves from severe weather. As temperatures drop in the twin cities, more and more people are buying electric blankets and seats, as well as fan heaters that can run on electricity and low gas pressure.

Many people have bought electric sheets and blankets to keep warm in the absence of sufficient gas pressure, leading to an increase in the demand for such products as the temperature nears 0°C. The high demand means an increase in the procurement of these items from China.

Electric sheets and blankets procured from China are being sold in the market for Rs2,000 to Rs4,000, and more affordable options are available second-hand at the Landa Bazaar.

Many shops in the city areas stock these items because of their popularity, which can be seen firsthand walking down D.A.V. College Road or in Bara Market near Fawara Chowk.

Electric sheets contain integrated wires and consume around 12 watts of electricity. They are placed on top of the mattress and switched on. Meanwhile, blankets can be made of anything, from cotton to faux fur, and are used to keep warm at night. In some blankets, sensors respond to the temperature of the room and can be left on at night, although they can also be turned off.

The blankets and sheets can also be repaired locally by workers using traditional methods.

Tariq Butt, the president of the College Road Traders Association, told Dawn that the low gas pressure had increased the sale of electricity powered sheets, blankets, seating pads and heaters. He said customers have even been coming from the northern areas to buy these items.

They are popular because they are inexpensive and conserve electricity, about equivalent to a light bulb, he said.

“We also sell instant water heaters, which are basically a small set of tapswith a digital temperature control thermostat that provide warm water within three seconds and consume as much electricity as two light bulbs,” he said, adding that this is a local product.

Most shopkeepers sell these products in the winter, and in the summer they replace them with uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems and solar energy panels that are in demand because of the routine power cuts.

“I started selling electric sheets, blankets, heaters and other items six years ago,” shop owner Saeed Ahmed said. “First I bought these products from the Landa Bazaar, and then I sold them at lower prices after repairing them. Now I procure them from China through a dealer,” he explained.

When asked about the safety of using electric sheets and blankets, Mr Ahmed said they were safe and that the wiring within the sheets did not deliver electric shocks.

“The Landa Bazaar items are genuine. They come from European countries second-hand and are spread around in the markets,” he said.

Syed Waseem Shah, a customer in Bara Bazaar, said he bought an electric bed sheet for his mother, who faced problems in the winter.

“My mother went to our village in Abbottabad because there was no gas in the winter,” he added.

Another customer, Majid Abbasi, said he preferred electric blankets.

“I lived in Murree, and when the temperature dropped to -2°C I used it at night when my hot water bottle grew cold,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2020