Cooking gas gets costlier: IGL hikes PNG prices by over 16% in Delhi-NCR

The Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), which retails CNG and piped cooking gas in Delhi-NCR, on Friday increased the domestic PNG price by a steep 16.5 per cent. The company, in a statement, announced that the price in the national capital will go up by ₹5/SCM, while in neighbouring Noida and Ghaziabad, the PNG price will be increased by ₹5.85/SCM, including VAT.

PNG prices are calculated per standard cubic metre or SCM. “ ₹5.85/SCM increased w.e.f. 01.04.22 to partially cover the hike in input gas cost. Applicable price in Gautam Budh Nagar will be ₹41.71/SCM,” read a statement of the IGL.

The hike comes amid a surge in gas prices globally. On March 24, PNG prices were increased by ₹1/SCM. IGL sources natural gas from domestic fields, along with LNG imports. LNG or liquified natural gas in the spot or current market touched record highs in recent months.

On Thursday, the government further raised the price of gas produced from local fields to a record USD 6.10 per million British thermal unit from USD 2.9.

This has pushed the costs for IGL, necessitating the price hikes, industry sources told news agency PTI.

Additionally, CNG price in the national capital was also hiked by 80 paise per kg on the back of the government raising input natural gas prices to record levels.

In Delhi, CNG price now stands at ₹60.81 per kg, raised from ₹60.01, according to IGL.

This is the sixth increase in CNG prices in the last month. Rates have gone up by about ₹4 per kg in a month and about ₹8.50 per kg this year alone.

The increase in CNG and PNG prices follows ₹6.40 per litre hike in petrol and diesel prices in less than two weeks and a ₹50 per cylinder surge in the LPG cooking gas rates.

In Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad, CNG will cost ₹63.38 per kg, while in Gurugram the price is ₹69.17 per kg.

Prices vary from city to city depending on the incidence of local taxes such as VAT.

A record 137-day hiatus in petrol and diesel price revision ended on March 22. On the same day, the price of a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder was increased to ₹949.50 in the national capital. In some places, the LPG price has touched ₹1,000.

(With agency inputs)