CONSUMERS should be aware that the meters installed by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) operate on a flywheel system. The flywheel turns at the speed the air passes over it. This is a standard mechanism for gas meters worldwide. Irrespective of how much of that air is actually burnable gas, consumers are billed for each turn of the flywheel.

During winter months, consumers may note the hissing sound in the burners, but when they try to ignite it, nothing happens. This fact indicates that burnable gas concentration in the supply line is too low, while the air pressure is at 100 per cent.

As a result, consumers are paying for full pressure of air, not gas. Natural gas supply companies should increase the ratio of gas in the air flow to 100pc, and stop introducing air mixed with gas into the system. If this is not possible, then the cost per unit of natural gas should be revised to match the concentration of gas in the supply line. This practice of charging consumers for air pressure rather than actual gas concentration is not only unethical, but also downright illegal.

Ahmer N. Jakartawala
Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2025