Know how many cylinders domestic customers can book in a year – Obnews

Amid concerns of disruption in LPG supplies due to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East (US-Israel-Iran conflict), the Government of India has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to give priority to domestic cooking gas. Refineries have increased LPG production by about 10%, and supplies are being secured through other means to ensure uninterrupted availability to households. Official sources in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as well as providers like Indane, Bharat Gas and HP Gas have confirmed that there is no acute shortage, and advised against panic buying or hoarding.

**Booking Limit for Domestic Consumers:**
Under the existing rules (unchanged since 2014), every household with a standard domestic LPG connection gets **12 subsidized 14.2 kg cylinders** at a government controlled rate every financial year (April-March). This subsidy supports cheap cooking fuel, and extra cylinders are available at non-subsidized (market/commercial) rates. Generally, a family can book a total of **15 cylinders** in a year: 12 subsidized + 3 non-subsidized. For Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries (poor households), a target subsidy of ₹300 per 14.2 kg cylinder is applicable for up to 9–12 refills annually, depending on the fiscal extension (recently extended till FY 2025–26).

**5 kg cylinders** are also for domestic use (equal quota: up to 34 subsidized per year), while larger sizes (19 kg, 47.5 kg, etc.) are for commercial/industrial use.

**Recent Rule Changes:** To prevent hoarding amid rising demand, the minimum booking time between refills has been increased from 21 days to **25 days** (effective from March 2026). This applies primarily to prevent abuse, but does not limit genuine needs.

**Home Storage:** Safety rules (Gas Cylinder Rules, 2016, and OMC Guidelines) allow domestic consumers to store a maximum of **two 14.2 kg cylinders** simultaneously—one for active use and the other as backup/spare. Due to fire/explosion risk, larger storage requires special permission or explosive license. Cylinders should be stored in upright, ventilated areas, away from heat/fire, and spares should be fitted with safety caps.

Consumers should book through official apps/portals (eg, IndianOil ONE, MyLPG.in) only as per requirement and verify the details with the authorized distributor. Despite global fluctuations, domestic cylinder prices have remained stable, with the recent increase restricted to commercial variants only.

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