E-commerce has now infiltrated every sector of the economy. Every product is conveniently available at the customer’s doorstep with just a few clicks. Some of the gains in the digital age include being able to get what you want at any time and from anywhere, even at night or on holidays, and the fact that you do not have to queue up, keeping in mind that you won’t have to contend with traffic (if you are in Lagos). And what has made this even easier has been mobile apps.
However, when you run out of cooking gas, you have to visit a gas station for a refill. This usually results in increased maintenance costs, wastage of time, transportation delays, and other issues, which have a negative influence on production and efficiency, particularly in the industrial sector.
But this is changing as a Nigerian startup, GasPAL, is revolutionising gas delivery in the country by bringing it to the doorsteps of customers using a mobile app and a delivery system. They are Nigeria’s first private enterprise with all of the necessary permits to deliver gas to customers’ doorsteps. The company does not charge any additional costs and refills gas at the same price as a typical gas station.
To use the service, one has to download the app, create an account, input their address, select the size of their cylinder, then tap on the request button, and a supplier nearest to them pops up. Users get to see the distance from the supplier to their location and the cost of gas before placing an order. If a user is okay with the price, they can then call the delivery agent, who will show up and refill their gas within 20 minutes. The mobile application also has a tracking system that lets customers see where their cylinders are en route.
According to GasPAL’s technology, every order is guaranteed to be of the highest quality and quantity. Transparency, safety, and convenience are additional features of the company’s doorstep gas delivery service. This one-of-a-kind company serves anyone who needs gas for their operations, whether they are individuals or businesses.
According to the founder, Kachi Samuel, this door-to-door gas delivery service was an enthralling concept that needed to be validated. For this, he went out on several occasions and saw people going through the pain and stress of dragging their cylinders to gas stations for a refill. Then he thought how convenient it would be for them if they could have their cylinders refilled with gas without having to go through the usual burdensome routine.
Home delivery of gas is intended to bring fuel to the customer’s consumption point rather than have the customer go to a gas station to pick it up. It alleviates the customer’s pain point while reducing the need for more gas stations, reducing road traffic, and so on.
With more Nigerians becoming accustomed to the convenience of shopping through platforms such as Jumia, Konga, Jiji, and many others, especially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was undoubtedly the way to go. Going forward, doorstep delivery of gas will become an integral part of our ecosystem due to the logistical benefits involved, as opposed to the risks associated with carrying and transporting gas cylinders to gas stations for refilling.
Data revealed by their Operations manager, Adeyinka Oluwapelumi and their Marketing Manager, Adekunle Abimbola, reveals that GasPAL is currently serving over 3,000 customers on their mobile platform.
Launched in mid-2021 and currently only available in Lagos State, however, with hopes to expand to other parts of the country, this new service is improving the lives of Lagosians by providing easy and safe access to gas at the doorsteps of many end-users across the state.
