Geyser sales heat up as colder winter bites

As temperatures fall and winter cold lingers longer than usual, geysers are once again emerging as a seasonal essential, with demand rising sharply across urban and semi-urban areas of Bangladesh.

Market insiders say sales volume have increased, particularly in areas with higher-income households. Although there is no consolidated industry data, they estimate that during the current winter season, spanning November to February, sales could reach at least 500,000 units.

Bangladesh is experiencing a colder winter this January, with prolonged cold spells sweeping the country. Yesterday, Sreemangal recorded the lowest temperature this winter at 7 degrees Celsius, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

“Demand for geysers has grown significantly this winter. Compared to last year, we’ve seen at least a 20 percent rise in demand due to the temperature drop,” Md Nurul Afser, deputy managing director of Electro Mart Group, told The Daily Star yesterday.

“People are now more aware of geyser usage in the context of Bangladesh’s winter needs,” he said. Afser estimates that the total market size for geysers in Bangladesh, both branded and non-branded, may be between 450,000 and 500,000 units this season.

His company offers a range of geysers priced from Tk 10,200 and up, depending on features and capacity.

“We have models ranging from 40 to 70 litres,” he added. “A 70-litre geyser, for example, costs around Tk 17,000,” he said.

Md Sharif Sarker, branch operations head at Transcom Digital’s Uttara-14 outlet, said the colder winter this year has significantly boosted the demand for geysers.

“Last year, the winter wasn’t as cold. This time, demand has more than doubled. We’re already out of stock,” Sharif said.

“We’re receiving only a limited supply of Haier geysers, which are high in demand due to their performance,” he added.

Sharif noted that prices for geysers offered by his company range from Tk 10,520 to Tk 18,200, depending on the model, with a 10 percent discount offered in December to attract winter shoppers.

Transcom Digital primarily sells Haier-branded geysers, with no other brands currently offered at the outlet.

Md Jishan Babu, a geyser installer, said he has installed 26 geysers over the past seven days as temperatures began to drop in the capital.

He said that the ongoing cold wave is expected to last longer this year, raising hopes for increased demand and better job prospects in geyser installation.

Fazle Rabbi Khadem, senior brand manager (home and kitchen appliances) at Walton, said they have recorded a spike in sales volume over the past 15-20 days as temperatures continued to drop.

Waltoned projected to sell around 6,000 units per day, but deliveries reached nearly 8,000 last month. In January, it also hit 8,000-9,000 units a day, so the company had to arrange extra shifts to meet production needs.

Kamruzzaman Kamal, director of marketing at Pran-RFL, said, “This winter, we’ve seen a 25 percent increase in sales, thanks to rising demand.”

He also said increased local manufacturing has helped make geysers more affordable for middle-income families, not just in urban areas, but also in semi-urban and rural regions across the country.