One of the most used cooking resources in India is LPG, which is also known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas. LPG is also called cooking gas and is quite environment-friendly, unlike other cooking resources.
Many LPG distributors supply gas cylinders to the consumers (both household and commercial) through pan-India networks. Moreover, these cooking gas-filled cylinders are available in subsidized cost on a fixed number of cylinders per year, and that makes it quite affordable for the common man.
Earlier, it was quite a tedious task to book an LPG gas as one had to visit the dealership store and wait for hours for the new connection or new cylinder. Many times, the cylinders would never reach the consumer and there was no regulating authority to check these.
The situation has improved now, as the dealership has been assigned to the three primary cooking gas suppliers, namely, Indane, Bharat and HP.
Step-by-step procedure to book a cooking gas cylinder:
Since we are living in a digital age and everything is done digitally nowadays, booking a cooking gas cylinder too is as easy as cutting a cake. The three major LPG suppliers have online and IVR-based services that help the consumers’ book from anywhere, without visiting the store.
- Step one: Visit the website of the cooking gas supplier and register as a new consumer.
- Step two: You'll find an option to book cooking gas online.
- Step three: Make sure to follow every instruction carefully and receive the booking reference number and consumer number.
- Step four: Pay using cash on delivery option or using a credit/debit card.
- Step five: Make sure to match the booking reference number you received online matches with the one provided upon delivery.
Booking an LPG gas cylinder through IVR system:
If you do not want to book online, you can also opt for an IVR-based process to book your gas cylinder. You can do it using any normal mobile phone or even a land phone.
- Step one: Make sure to get the cooking gas supplying agency's number of the particular area where you are staying.
- Step two: Call the agency and follow the registration procedure carefully.
- Step three: If you are an existing consumer and wish to book a refill, you need to provide the consumer number while booking.
- Step four: You'll be provided a booking reference number upon booking the cooking gas that you must note down somewhere. The estimated date of delivery too would be communicated through a voice message.
- Step five: Make sure to match the booking reference number while the supply boy delivers it.
Booking LPG cylinder through mobile apps:
Most of the LPG consumers are tech-savvy, so it is a great idea to introduce mobile app-based registering and booking of the cooking gas. The consumers can download the app and easily register or book cooking gas refills.
- Step one: Make sure to download the app for the LPG gas supplier.
- Step two: Open the app and browse it well. You would find the options from where you can register or book the LPG.
- Step three: If you are a new customer, register using your email ID, mobile number and the OTP that you'll receive when you enter the credentials.
- Step four: After the authentication is done, you'll get a customer ID number that you can use while booking the cylinder.
- Step five: If you are an existing LPG consumer, you can book a refill by following step-by-step instructions.
- Step six: Upon booking, you'll receive a booking reference number and estimated delivery date.
- Step seven: You can pay for the LPG cylinder through credit card/debit card/e-wallet/cash on delivery options.
- Step eight: since you have booked through an app, you can easily fetch booking history that has every credential you might be looking for related to the LPG booking.
SMS-based LPG cylinder booking:
As an existing LPG cylinder consumer, you can also book your cooking gas cylinder by SMSing. If you know the number of your LPG cylinder provider agency, you can send SMS following a particular format mentioning your consumer ID, and you would get a confirmation message quoting your booking reference number.
Direct booking of cooking gas from the dealership store:
If none of the above-mentioned procedures suit you, you can also opt to book the gas cylinder by visiting the store. All you need to do is to carry all the credentials to register or book an LPG cylinder. You can opt for cash on delivery payment method for it.
Credentials needed for the new LPG connection:
- Driving License
- Aadhar Card
- Passport
- Statement of Bank account/credit card
- Document of house registration
- Insurance policy papers
LPG gas booking: the Do's and don’ts to follow
Many of us think it is quite easy to install and use an LPG gas cylinder. But several rules should be followed to book and use the convenient cooking resource. They are:
- Make sure to use authentic documents so that to avoid disconnection or any other complications.
- Every detail should be filled up properly in the KYC form.
- Do not pay any additional money to the delivery boy as he receives his salary from the agency itself.
- Many times, the delivery person insists on buying a new oven with the new cylinder connection. Buy only if you need it, or else, refuse.
- Do not entertain people who ask for additional money for a quick connection.
- Make sure to provide your bank account details so that to receive the subsidy.
- Make sure to check the cylinder’s weight.
- It is important to check for any leakage and if you find any, make sure to keep a wet towel on it and do not touch any switch.
- Make sure to report the leakage to the emergency number provided by your LPG supplier and if there’s no quick response, you can report to the police station directly.
- Check your account for the subsidy every month, if you are not receiving it, visit the agency and check whether your bank account details are genuine or not.
- Do not forget to submit the KYC form when asked.
- Make sure you have done insurance of your LPG cylinder.
- Stay in touch with your agency and inform them earlier if you wish to change the contact number or delivery address for LPG gas cylinders
- Three LPG gas cylinder suppliers have kept their cylinder supply charges moderate and you can apply for the cylinders ranging from 5 KGs to 19 KGs as per your requirements. The prices are subject to vary as per the regulations and vary from state to state.
Advantages of applying for the LPG gas cylinder online
Most of the new-age consumers are not able to spare time to book for a new connection, requesting a new connection or booking for a refill can be done easily without any hassle using the Smartphone, normal phones, and laptops/PCs, etc.
- Easy application without visiting the agency If you use your mobile or laptop to register for a new LPG connection, you do not have to visit the distributor store and you in person and you can do it while sitting comfortably in your home.
- Smart tracking of LPG cylinder delivery available Using the app-based or online booking system, the consumer can track the delivery status easily.
- Regular intimations keep you updated on the delivery status The consumers are notified on the delivery status regularly and you also get to know when there’s a delay on delivery or the consumer was not available at the time of delivery.
- E-SV process of monitoring for the new LPG connection The new process of monitoring for the new connection keeps the consumer aware of his/her new connection application status.
- The consumer can make choices With the online connection, the consumer can make choices on whether to go for a single cylinder or a double cylinder connection.
- The consumer stays informed and aware by reading terms and conditions When the consumer visits the app or logs in online for the new connection or booking, he/she gets every detail on the LPG cylinder by reading the terms and conditions section.
- One can browse the refill booking history The consumer logs into the website or mobile app, he or she can browse the LPG cylinder booking history and can refer if required with all the credentials.
- No cash/cashless payment options Online or app-based booking, one can opt for cashless transactions where he/she can pay using credit/debit cards or do the wallet transactions without any hassle.
- Duplication of the LPG cylinder connection can be avoided One of the biggest benefits of having an online booking system is to avoid having duplicate consumer number, and thus, limiting corruption.
LPG gas cylinder is a best friend for any household. Most of the Indian households have LPG connections and it is the primary source of cooking food. However, you must take care of your LPG cylinder, pipes, and the oven and get them checked every 3 months to avoid any accidents.
Stay safe, use LPG and cook yummy food!
