Electricians turn entrepreneurs

CHENNAI: The sale of inverters picked up last year when Chennai started facing one hour of load shedding every day. Their demand has seen exponential growth this year, especially over the past couple of months, now that load shedding has been increased to two hours a day. This shoot up in demand has seen a number of electricians jumping into the fray, trying to cash in on the demand by offering inverters cheaper than their branded counterparts.While considerations of safety and proper wiring continue to exist, these electricians have taken the edge off the premiums that are being charged for branded inverters.“When my husband and I decided to get an inverter it was a flash decision, and we wanted to get it in a day or two. But when we checked out authorised dealers for the major brands, they had a wait list and we didn’t have that kind of patience,” says 39-year-old Jebamary Wilson, a resident of Velachery. That’s when she heard from a neighbour about a local electrician who would get the job done in a day. She jumped at the option, Jebamary says.“Last year, I was doing wiring and installation for a big dealer in Mylapore. I got a fixed fee for each installation, but the dealer pocketed most of the margin. I heard about an electrician who was doing this in north Madras and that’s when I decided to get into it myself,” says D Selvaraj, an electrician with 30 years of experience.“My business is simple. No queue for installation and no premium for either the brand or immediate availability. So my price is cheaper by at least `2,000 to 2,500. Still some customers are not confident about a non-branded product. So I offer to maintain it for them and offer free repairs. That’s the clincher,” D Selvaraj adds, saying more and more electricians are now entering the fray.The trend seems to have put dealers on a counterattack mode to protect their market. “These local electricians do not know anything. There is no safety in their installation. When you opt for a brand, we offer the guarantee of safety and durability,” says E Pugalendi, who runs an inverter shop at Choolaimedu.He says electricians are in it only for the quick buck and lack reliability. “They are here today and could be gone tomorrow. What will you do if the inverter fails and the electrician refuses to respond?” he asks. “We have a shop. We are not going anywhere. You know where to come. The waiting period and extra cost are part of the process, that customers should not be unwilling to bear,” Pugalendi says.