Protected vs Non-Protected Gas Consumers — What It Means for Your Bill

How the status is decided

Both SNGPL and SSGC split household consumers into two categories under the OGRA tariff. The test is your average monthly use across the four winter months — November, December, January and February:

Average of 0.9 hm³ or less → Protected. You pay the gentle slab rates (Rs 200–350 per MMBtu) and a fixed charge of Rs 600 a month.
Average above 0.9 hm³ → Non-protected. You pay slab rates of Rs 500–4,200 per MMBtu and a fixed charge of Rs 1,500 (up to 1.5 hm³) or Rs 3,000 (above it).

Winter is used for the test because that is when geysers and heaters multiply a home's gas use — the season that best shows how much gas a household truly needs. Your current category is printed on every bill, next to your consumer details.

The same gas, two very different bills

Monthly use	Protected bill	Non-protected bill	Difference
0.60 hm³	Rs 1,395.35	Rs 3,562.13	Rs 2,166.78
0.90 hm³	Rs 1,932.25	Rs 5,472.25	Rs 3,540.00

Both columns use the full tariff — slabs with the one preceding-slab benefit, fixed charge, Rs 40 meter rent and 18% GST — computed by our bill calculator. Protected slab rates also stop at 0.9 hm³: gas above that level is worked out at non-protected rates, so a single very heavy month is expensive twice over — once in that month's bill, and again if it drags your winter average over the line.

How to keep (or regain) protected status

Watch the winter months, not the year. Only November–February count. Check your bill here in the first week of each winter month and compare units with the 0.9 hm³ line.
Discipline the geyser. The water heater is the biggest winter consumer in most homes. Run it for set hours instead of around the clock, and turn it off when the house is empty.
Fix silent leaks. A weeping valve, a stove burner that never fully closes or a faulty regulator wastes gas day and night. If you smell gas, though, that is not a DIY job — leave the area and call 1199.
Insist on actual readings. Estimated readings can bunch real usage into one month. If your bill shows an estimated reading, note your meter's actual reading and call 1199 so the record stays honest.
Heat rooms, not the whole house. One heater in the room being used beats three running in empty rooms — and the difference shows up directly in the winter average.

Checking your own position takes ten seconds: add up the hm³ from your November–February bills and divide by four. At or under 0.9 — protected. Over it — every winter habit above is worth money to you. The full slab tables are on the tariff page.

Protected consumer FAQs

How do I know if I am a protected consumer?

Look at the category printed on your gas bill — it says Protected or Non-Protected. You qualify as protected when your average monthly gas use across the four winter months, November to February, is 0.9 hm³ or less.

Can I lose protected status?

Yes. The category is reviewed against your winter average: if heavy geyser and heater use pushes that average above 0.9 hm³, you move to non-protected rates — much higher slab rates and a fixed charge of Rs 1,500 or Rs 3,000 instead of Rs 600.

How much money does protected status save?

At 0.90 hm³ of use, a protected bill is about Rs 1,932 while the same gas at non-protected rates costs about Rs 5,472 — a difference of roughly Rs 3,540 in a single month. The gap grows with usage.

My winter average is just above 0.9 hm³ — is there anything I can do?

You cannot appeal the arithmetic, but you can change next winter's average: shorter geyser runs, fixing leaking valves and burners, and checking that readings are actual rather than estimated all pull the average down. Use the bill calculator to see how close to 0.9 hm³ your winter months are running.