Piped gas in Pakistani homes now comes on a timetable. From Wednesday, the two gas utilities are supplying domestic consumers in three daily slots built around meals, with the same hours across the country.
Your new gas hours: 6:30am to 9am for breakfast, 12pm to 2:30pm for lunch and 6pm to 9pm for dinner.
Sui Northern Gas has announced the hours for Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sui Southern Gas for Sindh and Balochistan, which it says is “prioritising domestic consumers by ensuring supply during meal times”. The change comes as LNG runs short and winter demand rises. In Karachi, where there was a severe shortage on Tuesday, contradictory schedules had been circulating on social media before the company confirmed the official one.
What this means at home
Plan cooking, and any water you heat on the stove, inside the slots, because low pressure or no gas is likely outside them. Keep the kitchen stove knobs and any gas heater valves firmly shut when supply stops, as gas can return without warning when the next slot begins. Check that the flame is lit before you walk away.
Do not use a gas stove to heat a closed room, and keep a window or vent open with any gas heater. Gas fires and carbon monoxide poisoning are a known danger in Pakistani homes every winter.
If you are thinking of switching to LPG
Check the price first. The legal maximum for November is about Rs295 a kilogram, but Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik says some sellers are charging Rs700 to Rs800 because of the shortage.
CNG users should also prepare. Sui Northern has cut supply to CNG stations from 50 million to 35 million cubic feet a day and plans to suspend it in the coming days.
