SNGPL addresses consumers’ concerns

Rawalpindi: The General Manager (GM) of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Rawalpindi Region, Masum Abrar, assured that the company issues bills to its valued customers based on actual gas consumption recorded through monthly readings. However, he acknowledged that technical issues may occasionally cause meter malfunctions, resulting in discrepancies in the recorded consumption for a given month.

Addressing these issues, he explained the concept of "fault volume," which refers to the quantity of gas consumed by the customer but not reflected in the monthly meter reading due to technical reasons.

This quantity is stored separately by the Electronic Volume Corrector (EVC). Once identified and verified through a rigorous process, the fault volume is added to the customer’s bill to ensure accurate billing as per the Gas Sales Agreement.

The GM clarified that under this process, only the actual gas consumption is billed, without any additional charges or surcharges. The objective is to ensure transparency and fairness in billing.

On Tuesday, a meeting was held at the SNGPL Regional Office in Rawalpindi with a delegation from the Bakers Association, led by Chairman Mumtaz Ahmed and President Muhammad Farooq Chaudhry. During the meeting, the delegation raised concerns regarding fault volume billing and low gas pressure.

Masum Abrar addressed their concerns, stating that Rawalpindi has a total of 4,349 commercial consumers, out of which only 54 were billed for fault volume, strictly in accordance with the company’s policies. The Bakers Association representatives expressed satisfaction with the explanations provided and reiterated their commitment to timely bill payments.

The GM also highlighted that SNGPL is committed to ensuring uninterrupted gas supply at optimal pressure levels. He noted that this year, under the directives of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik, the company has allocated Rs. 10 billion for the replacement of corroded pipelines. This initiative aims to improve gas supply efficiency and reliability for the public. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Bakers Association delegation expressed satisfaction with SNGPL’s efforts to address their concerns and improve service quality.