Households across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federal capital woke up to a changed winter routine on Wednesday, as Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) began enforcing a new gas load-management plan for domestic consumers. From today, piped gas will reach homes only during three daily cooking-time windows, a move the company links to dwindling LNG availability and rising winter demand.
Under the new schedule, domestic consumers will receive gas from 6:30am to 9:00am, 12 noon to 2:30pm, and 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The company says the restrictions are designed to manage the available supplies during the winter season, with the government prioritising household consumption over other sectors.
SNGPL winter gas schedule 2026: the three daily slots
The new timings split the day into three fixed supply windows — a morning slot (6:30am to 9:00am), a midday slot (12 noon to 2:30pm) and an evening slot (6:00pm to 9:00pm). Outside these hours, domestic supply will be curtailed as the company balances the network against demand.
The schedule applies to domestic consumers on the SNGPL network, which serves Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the restrictions also cover Islamabad. SNGPL has told consumers to plan cooking around the three windows for the duration of the winter season.
Why the restrictions: LNG availability and winter demand
The company points to two pressures: dwindling LNG availability and a sharp rise in demand as winter sets in. Pakistan’s gas supply system is already strained, and the new load-management plan is the company’s way of keeping household supply stable during the peak heating and cooking season.
Industry observers note that households are already feeling the wider fuel crunch. Reporting earlier this week from Rawalpindi described families returning to firewood and coal for cooking as piped gas reached homes in limited windows, with the price of a domestic LPG cylinder refill rising from about Rs3,000 to Rs5,000.
CNG sector also cut as supplies shrink
The compressed natural gas (CNG) sector has not been spared. SNGPL has reduced gas supplies to CNG stations from 50 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 35 mmcfd, with plans to bring supplies down to zero in the coming days.
The CNG cutback is part of the same strategy of prioritising domestic consumers. Transporters and private car owners relying on CNG are likely to feel the squeeze as station supplies shrink through the winter months. CNG prices in Pakistan
What households should do
For now, the practical advice is simple: cook within the three windows. Families in the affected areas should plan breakfast, lunch and dinner preparation inside the morning, midday and evening slots, since supply outside these hours cannot be relied upon.
Also read: LPG Prices in Pakistan Soar: ‘Fuel of the Poor’ Forces Rickshaw Drivers to Cut Meals — how soaring LPG prices are already pushing families toward alternatives this winter.
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