SNGPL ban on new gas connections extended indefinitely; commercial gas to tandoors and hotels halted

SNGPL has extended its ban on new gas connections indefinitely and has stopped commercial gas supply to tandoors and hotels, ARY News reported from Lahore on Sunday 1 November, citing company sources who said the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) imposed the ban. The reason given is a shortfall in imported RLNG as the US-Iran conflict disrupts Gulf shipping, just as winter demand rises.

What the SNGPL ban on new gas connections means for you

• New domestic and commercial connections: not being processed, with no restart date. Sources told ARY News connections will resume only once tensions in the region ease.
• Already paid? Thousands of applicants who paid the fees, including urgent or priority fees, are still waiting. There is no official word yet on refunds or a queue order.
• Commercial tandoors and hotels: commercial gas supply halted, according to the same sources. Expect pressure on roti and naan prices in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities where tandoors run on Sui gas.
• Homes with gas: supply continues on SNGPL's published load-management schedule, mainly at cooking times, and sources expect the shortage to deepen in the coming days.

No formal notification number or named official was cited in the report. We will add the notification here when SNGPL or the Petroleum Division publishes it.

Why it is happening

SNGPL's network, which serves Punjab, Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, depends on imported RLNG to cover the gap left by falling local gas fields. Since autumn 2025 every new connection has been RLNG-based. QatarEnergy has already extended force majeure on LNG cargoes for Pakistan buyers to the end of December, and OGRA raised the October RLNG price to $17.33 per MMBtu for SNGPL. The shortfall has also tightened LPG supply, the usual fallback for homes without gas, and LPG marketers have threatened a strike from 16 November.

Second time this year

The government lifted a four-year moratorium on new connections in late October 2025, allowing them on RLNG at a higher price. The News reported on 1 May 2026 that new connections had been halted again because RLNG supply was too expensive. Under the 2025 rules, the demand note fee rose from Rs 6,500 to Rs 23,500, with Rs 25,000 more for a priority connection, about Rs 50,000 up front in all, The News said. Sunday's report says that halt now has no end date.

What to do now

1. If you applied: keep your demand note and payment receipt. Track the application on SNGPL's website or helpline 1199, and do not pay anyone offering a connection "through the back door".
2. Check your bill: winter bills rise quickly with the slab system. Our SNGPL bill check guide shows how to get a duplicate bill, and the gas bill calculator estimates this month's bill from your units.
3. Plan for cooking hours: gas pressure is usually best at breakfast, lunch and dinner times on the published schedule.