The federal government recently announced that domestic gas tariffs would remain unchanged starting July 1.
However, in practice, this statement doesn’t tell the full story. A report published by media source has revealed that two quiet amendments are effectively increasing gas bills for millions of Pakistani households, even for those who consume little to no gas.
The first change involves the removal of the previously fixed minimum gas bill of Rs 107. Now, instead of a flat charge, consumers will be billed according to the first slab of their category. As a result, protected consumers will now pay a minimum energy charge of Rs 181, while unprotected consumers will pay Rs 452 — a significant jump from the earlier Rs 177. This change ties the minimum charge directly to the tariff structure, which means that any future increase in the base tariff will also raise the minimum bill automatically.
The second amendment increases the monthly fixed charges. For protected consumers, the fee has gone up from Rs 400 to Rs 600, and for unprotected consumers, it has increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. This has pushed the minimum monthly bill from Rs 645 to Rs 968 for protected consumers and from Rs 1,436 to Rs 2,350 for unprotected ones.
These revisions have gone largely unnoticed in public discourse, yet they have a substantial impact. Around 66% of domestic gas users fall within the first two slabs, meaning a large majority of the population is directly affected by these hidden cost hikes. Although the government has not technically changed the basic per-unit gas tariff, the new billing structure has led to a noticeable increase in the financial burden on households across the country.
The adjustments highlight a growing trend of indirect tariff hikes that escape media attention but have real consequences for everyday consumers. While officials maintain that prices remain stable, the actual billing mechanisms suggest a different reality — one in which millions are now paying more for the same or even zero gas consumption.
