Winter Gas Plan May Offer 8 Hours of Daily Supply

Winter Gas Plan May Limit Households to Eight Hours of Full-Pressure Supply

ISLAMABAD: Domestic gas consumers may receive eight hours of full-pressure gas daily during breakfast, lunch and dinner this winter under a proposed load-management plan aimed at addressing seasonal shortages, according to reliable sources.

Sources said Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) had agreed to the proposal, which would concentrate gas supply around the three main meal times, with interruptions likely during the remaining hours.

If approved, the two gas utilities would announce separate supply schedules for their respective service areas.

The Petroleum Division has completed preliminary work on the proposed arrangement and is expected to brief the prime minister, sources said. However, the plan has not been officially announced, and its approval, implementation and exact timings remain unconfirmed.

According to reported figures, SNGPL supplies 487 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas to domestic consumers, while SSGC provides 286 MMCFD. Each company would manage supplies within its own service region.

The proposed schedule could require households to change their cooking routines, prepare meals in advance or switch to alternative fuels. Consumers facing gas shortages outside the designated hours may need to purchase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or use other cooking options, potentially increasing household expenses.

The success of the plan would depend on whether the utilities can maintain adequate gas pressure throughout the designated supply periods, particularly when households are preparing meals.

The precise allocation of the eight hours across breakfast, lunch and dinner has not yet been determined publicly. Details regarding specific supply timings and whether the same arrangement would apply across both gas networks also remain unclear.

The petroleum minister and senior Petroleum Division officials were approached for comments on the proposed plan but had not responded at the time of reporting.