LAHORE: Following direction of the federal government in the light of the Lahore High Court’s decision, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) announced on Thursday to provide relief to gas consumers on account of pressure factor.

Under the court’s decision, the SNGPL’s 3.8 million of the total 6.5m consumers will be given refund called “interim relief” to the tune of Rs3.7 billion.

“The relief will be adjusted in bills from March 2020 to June 2020. And this will benefit 3.8m domestic gas users of the company,” said a spokesman for the company in a press release on Thursday.

According to an official source, the company had earlier applied pressure factor on consumers using gas exceeding 8-wc (water column). “Actually our gas meters cannot measure pressure and consumption and give exact reading if the use goes beyond 8-inch-wc (water column). That is why the company had applied pressure factor that changed slabs’ tariff keeping in view the actual consumption,” he explained while talking to Dawn.

He said keeping in view the severe resentment, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) termed SNGPL’s decision illogical and stopped it from doing so further. On this, the company challenged this decision in the court that also rejected the SNGPL’s stance. “The company has completed its homework to refund to consumers,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2020