The federal government is considering reopening gas connections after 13 years, but consumers may find the new facility much more expensive.
Officials from the Petroleum Division said a plan has been shared with the cabinet to allow 120,000 fresh connections in the first phase, with significantly higher charges than before.
Households applying for connections may need to pay between Rs40,000 and Rs50,000 per unit. In addition, they will be billed at imported LNG rates of about Rs3,900 per mmBtu, nearly four times higher than earlier costs and close to what consumers pay for LPG.
Government insiders suggested that preference will be given to those who had already paid demand notices or urgent fees. These applicants will be required to sign legal undertakings promising not to approach courts against the higher tariffs.
Meanwhile, the gas distribution companies remain under pressure. SNGPL, which has nearly three million pending requests, supplies households for just a few hours daily. SSGC has an additional 250,000 applications on hold.