What You Sign in SNGPL's RLNG Gas Contract: Rs 20,000 Security, 15 Day Bills and a 60 Day Meter Rule
SNGPL RLNG contract has a Rs 20,000 security, 15 days to pay with a 10 per cent surcharge, a 60 day meter error cap and a geyser baffle duty. Read it first.
SNGPL's domestic RLNG contract commits you to a refundable security of at least Rs 20,000, a service line charge of Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000, payment of every bill within 15 days with a 10 per cent surcharge after that, a meter error adjustment capped at 60 days, estimated bills for up to 12 months if the meter stops, and a conical baffle in every geyser. It also says plainly that supply is "on as and when available basis". We read the six page contract on SNGPL's website on 19 October 2026.
Every new domestic connection in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Azad Kashmir is now an RLNG connection, and the applicant signs this document before the demand notice is paid. Almost nobody reads it. Clause 22 even says that if the signed form goes missing, the standard OGRA approved terms apply anyway, so the terms bind you whether you read them or not.
You pay Rs 20,000 security and Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 for the service line
Clause 1 sets a refundable security deposit of "minimum Rs 20,000", which SNGPL can raise later "based on annual average consumption pattern of the consumer and price of RLNG". The service line charge is non-refundable: Rs 1,500 for a house on a plot up to 10 marlas or 300 square yards, and Rs 3,000 above that. Both are subject to revision with OGRA's approval.
| Charge in the contract | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|
| Security deposit, clause 1(A) | Minimum Rs 20,000, reviewable | Yes, on disconnection |
| Service line, plot up to 10 marlas or 300 sq yd, clause 1(B) | Rs 1,500 | No |
| Service line, plot above 10 marlas, clause 1(B) | Rs 3,000 | No |
| Meter rent, clause 3 | Blank in the form, at the OGRA approved rate | No |
| Late payment surcharge, clause 12 | 10 per cent of the current bill | No |
| Reconnection, clause 20 | "Usual reconnection charges", unstated | No |
Clause 1(III) lets the company use the security for its own purposes until disconnection, when it is returned under the contract's terms. On the sale of the house, clause 18(III) lets you transfer the deposit to the new occupant by notice, after which you have no further claim on it. The fees match the connection notice summarised in the guide to a new gas connection in Pakistan.
You are billed at OGRA's RLNG price, with back charges if it is revised
Clause 2 says you pay "at the current rates notified by OGRA". If OGRA sets the RLNG price provisionally, or revises it with retrospective effect, the difference "shall be recoverable/adjustable by the Company in the subsequent billing periods" and you undertake to pay it. Minimum charges apply in any month your use falls below the level OGRA sets for them.
That retrospective clause is the one to remember when a bill arrives with an arrears line you do not recognise. The monthly RLNG price is covered in the report on the RLNG price for September 2026. Under clause 10, consumption is measured in cubic feet or metres and converted to BTUs using the measured calorific value, and you are "billed on the basis of actual BTUs supplied". Clause 11 fixes supply pressure at no more than 8 inches of water column.
Bills are due in 15 days, carry a 10 per cent surcharge, and cannot be corrected after six months
Clause 12 makes bills payable within 15 days of the issue date, both days inclusive, with a surcharge of 10 per cent of the current month's bill after that. Clause 12(ii) says a mistake in the bill does not entitle you to withhold payment; the adjustment comes in a later bill. And neither side can claim a correction once six months have passed from the bill's issue date.
| Billing rule | What the contract says |
|---|---|
| Due date | 15 days from issue, both days inclusive |
| Late surcharge | 10 per cent of the current monthly bill |
| Disputed bill | Pay on time; adjustment follows in later bills |
| Correction window | Six months from issue, for either party |
| Unread meter | Provisional bill on last year's same period, for at most two months |
| Bill not received | You must ask within 25 days of the last due date; first bill within 90 days of commissioning |
| Cheque not cleared in 7 days | Supply liable to disconnection |
Clause 13 shifts the burden of a missing bill onto you: if a bill does not arrive within 25 days of the last due date, you must contact the company and get a duplicate, and non-payment can end the contract after a notice "printed on the gas bill conspicuously". How estimated and minimum bills look in practice is covered in the guide to estimated and stuck meter SNGPL bills. If you cannot pay in one go, the route to pay a gas bill in instalments is separate from this contract.
A faulty meter is adjusted for 60 days at most, a stopped one for up to 12 months
Clause 10(ii) says the meter register is prima facie evidence of your use. If an official test finds it inaccurate and the period is unknown, it is deemed wrong "for the past 60 days", and the adjustment either way cannot exceed 60 days. Clause 10(iii) says that if the meter stops registering, you pay for the stopped period or 12 months, whichever is less, on last year's bill for the same period, or the higher of the two months before or after.
Those two numbers pull in opposite directions. A meter that over-read for a year gets you 60 days back. A meter that stopped for a year can be billed for 12 months. The practical defence is to read your own meter monthly and raise a complaint the moment it looks stuck, through the steps to get a gas meter checked or changed. Clause 5 makes you responsible for the meter's seals and clause 19 bills tampering under the company's OGRA approved theft policy.
You must fit a conical baffle in every geyser and keep the house line safe
Clause 6(iv) is the one almost nobody knows: it is "the obligation of consumer to install conical baffle equipment in all existing and newly installed gas geysers for energy conservation". SNGPL may inspect, and if a geyser has no baffle the company installs one and charges the OGRA approved cost on the bill "in twelve equal monthly instalments".
- Have the house line installed and tested by an SNGPL licensed contractor to the approved plan, as the certificate rules in the guide to the house line installation certificate require.
- Everything after the meter is yours to repair and maintain; everything from the main to the property line is SNGPL's.
- Fit a conical baffle in each geyser, or expect SNGPL to fit one and bill it over twelve months.
- Do not extend, alter or add to the installation without written approval; clause 18 lists that as a ground for cancellation.
- Provide ventilation. Clause 16 says you know gas is inflammable, must ventilate against leaks, and indemnify the company for any accident. The winter rules are in the guide to using a gas heater or geyser safely.
- Allow inspection. Clause 9 gives the company's representatives access at all reasonable times to inspect, adjust or exchange the meter.
SNGPL can cut supply for non-payment, resale or a change of occupant
Clause 18 lists the grounds for cancellation: unpaid bills, drawing gas for another purpose or another party without consent, interfering with the meter or regulator, breaching any term, and major alterations without approval. Clause 18(III) cancels the contract automatically when the premises or the consumer change, unless the new occupant signs a fresh contract.
Clause 15 is the supply promise, and it is modest. Because LNG import, regasification and long distance transport "are subject to accidents, interruptions and failures", the company "does not by this Contract undertake to furnish to the Consumer a full and uninterrupted supply of gas", and is not liable for loss from shortages. Clause 20 makes reconnection conditional on the usual charges and arrears, a process set out in the guide to restoring a disconnected gas connection. Clause 21 sends unresolved disputes to OGRA under section 6(2)(k) of the OGRA Ordinance, 2002.
Common questions about the SNGPL RLNG contract
How much security does SNGPL take for an RLNG connection?
A minimum of Rs 20,000, refundable on disconnection, which the company can raise later based on your consumption and the RLNG price. The service line charge of Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 is not refundable.
How long do I have to pay an SNGPL bill?
15 days from the issue date, both days inclusive. After that a surcharge of 10 per cent of the current month's bill applies.
What happens if my gas meter was faulty?
If an official test finds it inaccurate and the period is unknown, the adjustment covers the past 60 days at most, in either direction.
Can SNGPL bill me for a stopped meter?
Yes, for the stopped period or 12 months, whichever is less, based on last year's same period or the higher of the neighbouring two months.
Is a conical baffle compulsory?
Yes, in every gas geyser under clause 6(iv). If SNGPL finds one missing it installs it and bills the cost in twelve monthly instalments.
Does the contract guarantee gas supply?
No. Supply is on an as and when available basis, and clause 15 says the company does not undertake a full and uninterrupted supply.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 19 October 2026. Every clause, figure and quotation comes from SNGPL's Contract for Supply of RLNG for Domestic Use, the six page PDF linked from its Contract for Supply of Gas page, which we downloaded and read on 19 October 2026. The security and service line figures match the connection notice on SNGPL's home page the same day. The meter rent is left blank in the contract form and the reconnection charge is not stated, so we give neither. We did not read the separate system gas, commercial or industrial contracts, and the OGRA approved theft policy referred to in clause 19 was not opened.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
