A poorly thought out new law has created a risk to members of the public who try and cheat.
The latest law designed to help consumers may backfire as it requires sellers to exchange gas bottles of any brand and weigh and to compensate customers for any liquid gas still inside the bottle.
The regulator needs to ‘draw up rules’ before the law compels retailers to pay out for residual liquid gas but the temptation for some to take the top off LPG bottles and fill them with other liquids creates a life-threatening risk.
The new rules for gas bottles were published on Monday, 19 October in the Official Gazette but consumers will have to wait before the government works out the practicalities.
‘All gas distributors and bottled LPG retail operators are required to receive and exchange empty LPG bottles’ reads the document which states that this operation will have to take place with ‘operational efficiency and safety.’
According consumer watchdog DECO, if 300 grammes of liquid gas remain in each cylinder, at the end of the year for an average household, €72 will have been wasted.
The law is due to start in January 2016 but the National Authority for the Fuel Market still has to sort out how to regulate the retailers and ensure safety.
The National Council for Fuels and the Competition Authority say the move is "in order to avoid discriminatory treatment of consumers."
The National Association of Fuel Distributors is appalled at the regulation as they say there is a high risk of consumers putting other liquids inside the empty bottles to get a refund. The residual gas suddenly released may cause an explosion.
"There may be consumers who take off the safety valve and add liquid other than gas just to get money. Nowhere in the world there is such a scheme, not even in Africa," said José Reis of the association, who doubtless will attract criticism for his outspoken views on African health and safety proceedures.
