As the chill of winter sets in across Pakistan, households will find their kitchen stoves cold for much of the day under a strict new gas supply schedule announced by utility providers. According to Geo News, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has introduced designated timings for domestic consumers to ensure availability only during specific cooking hours in line with government instructions.

Under the announced measures, domestic consumers will receive gas during three periods each day: from 6:30am to 9am, 12pm to 2:30pm, and 6pm to 9pm, as reported by Geo News. The utility stated that prioritising household consumers during these hours forms a key part of its winter strategy.

Concurrently, The News reported that Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has implemented similar gas load management for domestic consumers in Islamabad, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This restriction to three daily cooking-time slots begins on Wednesday.

Background

The supply constraints are driven by dwindling liquefied natural gas (LNG) availability coupled with rising winter demand, which together place heavy pressure on the country's gas supply network, according to The News. In response to these shortages, SNGPL has reduced gas supplies to the compressed natural gas (CNG) sector from 50 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 35 mmcfd. Meanwhile, the cement industry has already shifted to coal, and industrial consumers connected to the distribution network are experiencing reduced supplies.

Industries connected directly to the transmission network—including both export and non-export sectors—are currently receiving approximately 200 mmcfd. The power sector is supplied with roughly 140 mmcfd of gas, while the fertiliser industry receives about 53 mmcfd, as detailed by The News.

Why it matters

For ordinary households across the affected regions, the new schedule means cooking routines must be strictly adapted to the three allotted time windows. With industrial sectors, the power grid, and the CNG sector also facing curtailments or complete supply suspensions, the measures reflect a broader government strategy to prioritise domestic consumption over other sectors during the high-demand winter months.

What's next

According to The News, SNGPL has plans to suspend gas supplies to the CNG sector altogether in the coming days, and further reductions in supplies to industries connected directly to the transmission network remain possible.