LPG Price Hike: There is a big update for common people. In light of the recent Rs 29 hike in domestic LPG cylinder prices, the government asserts that consumers are still benefiting from substantial relief. They state that the actual price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder exceeds Rs 1,600, yet consumers are only paying Rs 942. The government claims that regular consumers are enjoying a Rs 700 discount per cylinder. Therefore, if you use 12 cylinders annually, you will effectively save Rs 8,400.
Praveen Khanuja, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, mentioned that beneficiaries of the Ujjwala Yojana also receive an extra subsidy of Rs 300. This brings their total benefit to around ₹1,000 per cylinder. Consequently, if they use 12 cylinders a year, they will benefit from a relief of ₹12,000.
How much will the average household’s kitchen budget increase over the year?
Reflecting on January 2026, gas prices did not affect your kitchen budget for the initial two months. If your household consumes 12 cylinders monthly and you refilled your cylinder after March 7th, you would incur an additional cost of Rs 120 from March to May. Following that, if you bought a cylinder on June 7th, you would have faced a loss of Rs 89 in June. Assuming no changes occur until December and prices remain stable, your kitchen budget will be directly impacted by an extra Rs 803.
A double whammy for Ujjwala beneficiaries
While it is accurate that Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries are indirectly receiving a benefit of ₹1,000 on at least the first four cylinders, they are also experiencing the dual impact of price increases and subsidy reductions.
To clarify, during this financial year, from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, only four cylinders will qualify for a subsidy. Previously, the total subsidy for nine cylinders was Rs 2,700, which has now been slashed to ₹1,200. This results in a direct loss of Rs 1,500.
Do Ujjwala beneficiaries use only 4 cylinders in a year?
The government clarified that the Rs 300 per cylinder subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is limited to the first four refills of the year. The rationale behind this is that Ujjwala households use only 4-5 cylinders per year on average.
