CHENNAI: For V Sivaraman, a lawyer and resident of Triplicane, Friday’s visit to an inverter dealer on Anna Salai proved to be a rude shock. While he had taken a quotation from the same shop a week earlier, he was surprised to find that the cost of the inverter he had selected was now up by `1,500 in just five days. “The shop keeper said that the demand had spiked after the power cut was increased to two hours last Monday and hence the price rise,” says Sivaraman.The story seems to be the same across the city where dealers, citing shortage of stock and a spike in demand, have increased the prices of UPS and inverter systems.According to dealers in Anna Salai, Mogappair and Thiruvanmiyur, while the average sales of the power systems clocked 30 to 40 pieces a month between November and January, they were now doing the same amount of business in a week’s time.“The demand is so much that we have pending orders that run to hundreds of units. There is also a lag in the supply from manufacturers who are unable to keep up with the demand,” says S Damodaran. Manager, S&D Power Agencies.For a consumer who wants power supply for five bulbs and four fans for two hours, it is recommended to opt for at least an 800 VA inverter. Following the increase in power cuts to two hours a day, dealers say that price of an inverter set of this capacity is now Rs 13,500 to 14,500 depending on the brand, compared to about Rs 12,000 in January.The trend also seems to be moving towards higher capacity inverters, as customers fear increase in power cuts. “Over the last week, the number of inquiries for 1 KV inverters has gone up,” says Manohar, a partner of an UPS dealer on Anna Salai.However, consumers say that the price rise is artificially created. “They never tell us what the MRP is. You have to pay what they tell you,” says Sivaraman.With temperatures set to soar over the next few weeks, these dealers are candid that they are in for some huge profits.
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