Independent retailers comprising the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association (LPGMA) are asking the Department of Energy (DoE) to put a price tag on their products.

LPGMA President Arnel Ty said they are aware cooking gas is among the commodities covered by Executive Order (EO) 839, but it isn’t clear what price should be followed.

“There is a big price range between retailers and wholesalers. Without a standard retail price (SRP), LPG retailers may impose the high end of the price range,” Ty pointed out.

The EO, handed down by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last October 23, directed oil companies in Luzon to revert to their “October 13 price levels” and keep them there until the order is lifted.

A week after the EO, the DoE issued circular 2009-10-0013 which gave out implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the oil and LPG players to follow regarding the price freeze.

Ty urged the energy department under its secretary, Angelo Reyes, to establish an SRP for cooking gas.

“We will follow the EO. But we do not have an SRP. So we may have to follow the highest price at the market," he said.

The LPGMA currently retails regular, 11-kilogram cooking gas tanks between P520 and P530. On the other hand, big oil companies such as Pilipinas Shell and Petron Corp. peddle their LPG between P575 and P610 per cylinder.

Unlike other fuel products, LPG has been stable in terms of domestic prices. Local prices of the commodity were hiked twice by major oil firms during the first week of September, but never again. The LPGMA last increased its product prices on August 31.

Ty, however, noted an increase of $57 per metric ton in delivery prices for November, which translates to a hike of R3.50 to R4 per kilo of LPG.

“We will not increase our prices,” assured the LPGMA head, saying that they will comply with the EO.