With the arrival of summer, the prices of cooling equipment in al-Hasakah increase

The city of al-Hasakah is seeing an increase in the price of cooling and air conditioning equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners and fans, both used and new, placing an additional financial burden on citizens who are already suffering from difficult economic conditions.

On local market Facebook pages that sell used and new appliances, Thamer al-Hussein, 46, of Qamishli, looks for a refrigerator at a price that fits his budget and meets the needs of his family of four to keep water cold and preserve food.

al-Hussein said Enab Baladi that the refrigerator he has is old, damaged and breaks down often. The last time a maintenance worker demanded one million Syrian pounds for repairs.

He added that one million pounds was almost the equivalent of his monthly salary from his job in a food warehouse, so he decided to buy a new refrigerator, but was shocked by the high prices, all quoted in dollars.

Al-Hussein then decided to buy a used refrigerator again, hoping it would be better than his old, worn-out one, but so far he hasn’t found anything that meets his needs and fits his budget, he said.

Corrections depending on electrical power conditions

Fares Ibrahim, 50, from al-Qahtaniyah, bought a used medium-sized air conditioner for $100 (equivalent to 15,000 Syrian pounds), while a new one costs about $200.

Ibrahim said Enab Baladi that the prices of air conditioners are high, although some are produced locally in al-Hasakah, noting that he had to replace the cooling pads of the air conditioner, locally known as a “desert air conditioner”, for 60,000 Syrian pounds.

According to Ibrahim, some people who buy particularly large air conditioners have to modify them to run not only on electricity, but also on batteries.

He added that it is impossible to sleep at night and in high heat, which is why air conditioners are designed to run on batteries, because the generators (ampere subscriptions) only work for eight hours, turning them off at 12:00. .

On the other hand, some wealthy people subscribe to the Night Ampere system, and the cost of one Night Ampere subscription is about four US dollars.

said Mohamed al-Hassan, 47, an electrical technician from al-Hasakah Enab Baladi that modifies air conditioners to run on batteries or solar power, and this solution is popular with customers, despite the additional cost of about $35 to the price of the air conditioner.

In dollars

During the trip according to Enab Baladi in stores selling refrigeration and air conditioning equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners, ceiling and vertical fans in Qamishli, all items were priced in US dollars.

– said Mufeed Sheikho, 46, owner of an electrical equipment store Enab Baladi that customers consider prices to be high due to the devaluation of the Syrian pound against the US dollar, while the seller considers them “reasonable” because they pay for all the goods he imports in dollars, including taxes, duties and fees.

The retailer added that most of the air conditioners that have “flooded the market” this year are Iranian-made residential and office air conditioners with plastic housings because they are cheaper compared to locally and Turkish-made air conditioners.

He mentioned that there is a demand for adjustable and lightweight plastic air conditioners, especially among office and shop owners in the market.

He emphasized that the least sought and sold are gas air conditioners, which require a large amount of electricity to operate (approx. 8 amperes), which is difficult to ensure due to constant interruptions in the supply of electricity from the main power grid. Most residential and commercial plans on the market are four amps or less.

Sheikho explained that this is not the case with refrigerators as customers prefer those produced locally and in Turkey.

Prices for new refrigerators range from $300 to $700, depending on size and type, while prices for used refrigerators range from $100 to $200. New air conditioners range in price from $150 to $400, depending on size and origin.

When it comes to fans, there is a demand for vertical fans, powered by both electricity and batteries, which are priced around $20.

The minimum wage in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is one million forty thousand Syrian pounds (approximately $70).

A study by the Aid Coordination Unit (ACU) found that 30% of Syrians in the northern regions rely on daily (irregular) work as their main and secondary source of income, and 20% pay rent (rent in al-Hasakah is around $75 per person ) month). It was also noted that 61% of families are in debt.

Although 75% of households are unable to save any amount in a month, the minimum average income of the population is USD 110, which is significantly lower by about USD 20 than the minimum value of the spending basket.