How to Get a Gas Meter Checked, Changed or Shifted in Pakistan
Faulty, slow or fast gas meter? How to get SNGPL or SSGC to check, replace or shift it, OGRA's 2-day and 5-day deadlines, the bill rules and where to complain.
To get a gas meter checked or changed, register a complaint with SNGPL or SSGC on 1199 or online and keep the complaint number. OGRA's rules say the company must respond within 2 days, replace a blocked or burnt meter within 5 working days of any payment due, and replace a slow or sticky meter within two months.
SNGPL (Sui Northern) supplies gas in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad. SSGC (Sui Southern) supplies Sindh and Balochistan. Both are bound by the same service deadlines, set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in its Performance and Service Standards, S.R.O. 396(I)/2019.
We read those standards, SSGC's Consumer Service Manual and its FAQ, and SNGPL's complaint pages on 30 September 2026. Neither company publishes a fixed fee for shifting a meter. Both work on a survey and then a quotation, and that detail matters before you pay anyone.
OGRA deadlines for gas meter problems
OGRA gives the gas companies firm deadlines. They must answer a meter complaint within 2 days, replace a blocked, burnt or badly damaged meter within 5 working days after payment of any dues, and replace an inaccurate meter within two months of your complaint.
| Request or problem | OGRA deadline |
|---|---|
| Response to a meter complaint | Within 2 days |
| Blocked, burnt or badly damaged meter | Replace within 5 working days after payment of dues, if any |
| Slow, sticky or non-registering meter | Replace within 2 months of complaint |
| Meter alteration or replacement you ask for | 15 working days after you accept and pay the charges |
| Special meter reading | Visit within 3 working days |
| Written reply to your letter | Within 5 working days |
These deadlines are in the Gazette of Pakistan, dated 19 March 2019, and apply to every licensed gas distribution company. Quote the number of the item when you chase the company: item 12 for a change you requested, item 13 for a faulty meter and item 16 for a special reading.
How to get a gas meter checked or replaced
Register a complaint first, because OGRA's clock starts from the complaint. Call 1199 or use the company's online complaint form, describe what is wrong, and write down the complaint number. Then follow up with that number, not a new complaint.
- Read your meter on the same day each week for two or three weeks and note the figures. That record helps prove a slow, fast or stuck meter.
- Register the complaint on 1199, or online: SNGPL runs a "Lodge Complaint" form, and SSGC a complaints and feedback page.
- Say exactly what is wrong: not moving, running while all appliances are off, damaged glass, a broken seal, or a reading that jumped.
- Get the complaint number. OGRA's standards say the company must give you one.
- If the company asks for payment, get it in writing on a bill or quotation. Pay only through the bank or official channels, never cash to a field worker.
A simple home test: close every gas appliance, including the geyser pilot, and watch the meter's last dial for 15 minutes. If it still moves, you probably have a leak in your own house line, not a fast meter. SSGC's FAQ says the pipe after the meter is the customer's responsibility, and so is the gas lost through it.
Slow and fast gas meters and your bill
A slow meter works against you later. SSGC says replaced meters go to its meter testing laboratory, and any gas the meter failed to record is billed to you. A fast meter works the other way: the company must credit the extra amount, with no mark-up charged on it.
The SSGC Consumer Service Manual covers both directions. Under clause 3.2.11, the company recovers gas that was short billed because of a defective, slow or tampered meter. It can add that to a later bill or send a separate one, and it may allow instalments on request under clause 3.2.13.
Under clauses 3.2.14 and 3.2.15, if you were overcharged because of a fast meter, a reading error or a wrong tariff, the extra amount is adjusted in your bills. Either side can raise the problem.
There is also a time limit. Clause 3.2.21 says no correction or adjustment can be claimed by either party more than six months after the bill was issued. So complain about a suspicious bill quickly, and dispute it in writing. For help reading the figures, the Sui gas bill check shows your past bills and readings.
| Meter fault | What happens to your bill |
|---|---|
| Slow or not registering (PUG) | Unrecorded gas is estimated and billed to you |
| Fast meter | Overcharge credited in later bills, no mark-up |
| Meter not read | Provisional bill, adjusted when an actual reading is taken |
| Tampered meter or broken seal | Recovery under the company's gas theft control policy |
PUG means "passing unregistered gas", the companies' term for a meter that lets gas through without counting it.
Shifting a gas meter to another spot
Moving a meter, or re-routing the connection, is treated as an alteration. The company surveys the site, prices the material and labour, and issues a quotation. After you pay it, the work order goes out, and OGRA gives the company 15 working days to finish.
We found no fixed shifting fee on either company's website. SSGC's manual, under "Alteration in houseline, re-routing, shifting of connection", says all alteration cases are surveyed where technically feasible and a quotation is issued. So the price depends on the length of pipe and the work involved.
Apply at your nearest customer facilitation centre or through the complaint line, and take your latest bill. Never let a private plumber move the company meter. The meter belongs to the company, and SSGC charges Rs 40 a month in meter rent for a normal domestic meter, which shows up on every bill.
A second meter in the same house is a different request. OGRA's standards say an additional meter may be treated as a new connection and processed on turn, like any fresh applicant. The steps for that are in new gas connection applications.
What to do if the gas company misses the deadline
If the company misses OGRA's deadline, write to it again with your complaint number, then complain to OGRA. OGRA takes consumer complaints against gas companies under its Complaint Resolution Procedure, online or on its complaint form.
Keep your file together: the complaint number, dates of calls, the meter readings you noted, photos of the meter and any quotation or bill. A company complaint number makes the OGRA complaint stronger. The wider route, including OGRA's form, is set out in SNGPL and SSGC gas complaints.
A gas smell is different. Leave the house, do not switch anything on or off, and call 1199 at once. OGRA's standards require the company to attend an uncontrolled escape within one hour.
Common questions
How long does SNGPL or SSGC take to replace a faulty gas meter?
A blocked, burnt or badly damaged meter within 5 working days after any dues are paid. A slow or sticky meter within two months of the complaint, under OGRA's standards.
What is the fee to shift a gas meter?
No fixed fee is published. The company surveys the work and issues a quotation for material and labour, which you pay before the meter is moved.
Will I be charged if my gas meter was slow?
Yes. SSGC says replaced meters are lab tested and unrecorded gas is billed to the customer. You can ask for instalments.
Will I get money back for a fast gas meter?
Yes. The overcharged amount is adjusted in your later bills, and no mark-up applies to it.
Can I move the gas meter myself?
No. The meter belongs to the company, so only the company should move it, after a survey and quotation.
How do I get a special meter reading?
Ask the company through 1199 or your facilitation centre. OGRA says it must visit within 3 working days of the request.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 30 September 2026. The deadlines for meter complaints, replacements, alterations, special readings, replies, additional meters and gas escapes are read in OGRA's Performance and Service Standards, S.R.O. 396(I)/2019, Gazette of Pakistan, 19 March 2019, as reproduced in SSGC's Consumer Service Manual. The short billing, excess billing, six-month and alteration clauses are read in that manual. Lab testing of replaced meters, house line responsibility and the Rs 40 meter rent are read in SSGC's FAQ. SNGPL's online complaint form and 1199 are read on sngpl.com.pk, and OGRA's complaint procedure on ogra.org.pk. SNGPL's own service manual was not found on its website, so SNGPL's internal steps for shifting are not confirmed separately.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
