BENGALURU: With the blistering heat, it has become difficult to stay inside the house or step outside. The scorching Sun has left people exhausted. To escape this heat, people are turning to ACs, fans and coolers. But just hearing the prices of these is leaving people shocked.
After summer started, peaceful sleep has become a mirage. On one hand, people are worn out by the heat and humidity. In most districts of the state, the heat has intensified, with record high temperatures being registered, and people are exhausted by the scorching Sun.
To beat the heat, people are resorting to air coolers, fans, and ACs and these are now in huge demand in Bengaluru. In a single shop, 500–600 fans and more than 100 coolers are being sold per month. Further, the Middle East war effect has also impacted cooling appliances used in summer as the price of raw materials needed for manufacturing fans and coolers has become expensive.
Along with that, demand has also increased because of summer. Due to these two reasons, the price of cooling products has risen by 25 per cent. Amid the price hike of essential commodities, this too becoming expensive is burning a hole in consumers’ pockets. A fan that cost Rs 1,150 now costs Rs 1,550 since March. A cooler that was Rs 4,000 is now Rs 7,000.
“Every year, the prices of inputs increase and hence, the prices of fans also increase. About 10 years ago, ceiling fans could be bought for Rs 500, but now, branded fans are in the range of Rs 1,400-1,500. Due to this, our margins shrink and the burden is also more on customers. Prices of coolers normally increases by about 20 per cent in March-April when supply is less. Those who can’t afford ACs prefer coolers and the sales have also increased in summer”, said Kushal, owner of Muktha Department Store in Chickpet.
Since the situation is such that the heat is unbearable, buying fans and coolers has now become inevitable for consumers. Overall, the business of ACs, coolers, and fans, which had been dull until now, has picked up strongly, and crowds of customers have increased at Chickpet and wholesale shops.
“I have come all the way from Kolar to purchase a cooler. It’s unbearably hot and we need to run the cooler all through the night and during daytime also”, said Hemanth, a customer.
