ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has increased the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs4.33 per kilogram for September, raising the price of an 11.8kg domestic cylinder by Rs51.17 and adding to the fuel burden on households relying on LPG for cooking and other daily needs.
According to OGRA notification, the price of LPG has been fixed at Rs258.65 per kilogram for September, compared with the previous price, reflecting an increase of Rs4.33 per kilogram.
The price of an 11.8kg domestic LPG cylinder has consequently increased by Rs51.17 to Rs3,052, putting additional pressure on consumers who use LPG as an alternative source of household fuel.
The latest increase means that a household purchasing one standard 11.8kg cylinder will have to pay around Rs51 more under the newly notified price than under the previous rate.
LPG is particularly important for households that do not have access to piped natural gas or face unreliable gas supplies. It is also widely used by commercial establishments, including restaurants, hotels, tea shops and other small businesses.
The increase in the LPG price can therefore raise monthly household cooking expenses as well as operating costs for businesses that depend on the fuel.
For consumers using LPG cylinders regularly, the impact can become more significant depending on the frequency of cylinder replacement. A household requiring several cylinders during the month would face a proportionately higher additional expense as a result of the revised rate.
The latest notification comes after OGRA had also increased the LPG price for August by Rs12.89 per kilogram, taking the notified consumer price to Rs254.315 per kilogram and the price of an 11.8kg cylinder to Rs3,000.92.
The September increase is therefore a further upward adjustment in the regulator’s notified LPG price, although the increase is considerably smaller than the previous month’s rise.
The impact on consumers could also vary depending on the actual market price charged by LPG sellers. In practice, retail prices in some areas can differ from OGRA’s notified rate because of transportation, distribution and other market factors.
For low- and middle-income households dependent on LPG, even relatively small increases in the per-kilogram price can translate into higher recurring household expenditure because LPG is a basic cooking fuel.
The September revision will consequently be closely watched by domestic consumers as well as commercial users, particularly amid broader increases and volatility in household energy costs.