Most gas agencies do their job fine. But almost everyone has a story about the one that doesn’t: the delivery person who wants ₹30 “for the stairs”, the cylinder that feels suspiciously light, the agency that won’t give a new connection unless you buy their stove, or the booking that says “delivered” when nothing ever arrived.
What most people don’t know is that these aren’t just annoyances. The oil companies’ own rulebook for distributors, the Marketing Discipline Guidelines, lists them as irregularities, with fines for agencies that commit them. Knowing that changes how you complain, and how seriously you’re taken.
Common Problems, and What the Rules Say
1. Being asked to pay more than the cash memo
You should pay only the amount printed on the cash memo. Home delivery is already part of the price. HP Gas has said publicly that customers don’t need to pay any delivery fee on top of the bill.
Overcharging on refill delivery, on new connections, or for any service that isn’t chargeable is listed as an irregularity in the Marketing Discipline Guidelines, and a serious case can bring the distributor a fine.
What to do: pay the memo amount, politely refuse anything extra, and note the delivery person’s name. If you paid extra by UPI, keep the screenshot.
2. No cash memo
Every payment should come with a cash memo or receipt. Not issuing one is also on the irregularities list.
What to do: ask for it before you pay. Without a memo, you have no proof of the amount, the date or the cylinder.
3. A cylinder that seems underweight
You’re paying for 14.2 kg of gas. Under weights and measures rules, the maximum permitted shortfall on a 14.2 kg domestic cylinder is 150 grams. For a 19 kg commercial cylinder it’s 1 per cent, and for a 5 kg cylinder 1.5 per cent.
Distributors are expected to equip their delivery staff with a weighing scale. The civil supplies and consumer affairs department of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, for example, has formally reminded distributors to weigh cylinders at the door when a customer asks.
What to do:
- Find the cylinder’s empty weight, the tare weight, marked as TW near the collar.
- Add 14.2 kg. That’s what a full cylinder should weigh.
- Ask the delivery person to weigh it in front of you before you accept it.
- If it’s short by more than 150 grams, refuse it and ask for another. Take a photo of the scale reading.
Under the guidelines, supplying an underweight or partly used cylinder beyond the permitted limit is a serious irregularity, and the customer is entitled to a free replacement.
4. Being forced to buy a stove or other items
Some agencies won’t release a new connection unless you buy their stove, lighter or “safety kit” at their price. The guidelines specifically list forced sale of hotplates and other accessories as an irregularity.
You do need a stove, but you’re free to buy it anywhere. The regulator comes from the distributor as part of the connection, and a Suraksha hose from the distributor is a good idea, but nobody can make a refill or a new connection conditional on buying extra products.
What to do: say clearly that you’ll arrange your own stove. If they still refuse, complain to the company with the date and the staff member’s name.
5. Being told to collect the cylinder from the godown
Domestic refills are meant to be delivered home. Unauthorised non-home delivery, where the agency makes you fetch it yourself without approval, is on the irregularities list. And if you do choose to collect your cylinder yourself, the guidelines treat not giving you the rebate for non-home delivery as an irregularity too.
What to do: insist on home delivery. If you’re collecting by choice, ask for the rebate.
6. Delivery deliberately delayed
Delays happen, especially around festivals or when supply is tight. But deliberate delay in delivering against a valid booking is an irregularity, and so is ignoring complaints about late delivery.
What to do: give the distributor a reasonable window, then follow up with your booking number. If nothing moves, escalate to the company.
7. Marked “delivered”, but nothing arrived
This one is serious. A cylinder shown as delivered to you but never handed over may have been diverted. False delivery entries are covered in the guidelines under unaccounted sale of cylinders, which is treated as a major irregularity.
What to do: complain to the company the same day, with your booking number, and say clearly that you didn’t receive the cylinder or share your delivery code. This is also why you should share the delivery code only at your door, with the cylinder in front of you.
8. Rude behaviour
Rude or discourteous behaviour by the distributor’s staff or delivery staff, without provocation, is also listed in the guidelines.
What to do: note the date, time and name, and include it in your complaint. It counts.
9. A leak complaint that nobody attends
For any leak, call 1906, the national LPG emergency helpline. Deliberately ignoring leak complaints is treated as a major irregularity for a distributor.
What Happens to an Agency That Breaks the Rules
Under the 2022 guidelines, a minor irregularity usually brings a warning letter on the first occasion. A major irregularity can bring a fine of up to ₹2 lakh on the first occasion, along with a refund to the customer where money was overcharged, and repeated offences are dealt with more strictly.
That’s why complaints with dates, cash memo details and photos get action. They give the company something it can actually enforce.
Where to Complain, in Order
- The distributor. Call the number on your cash memo, or better, give a written complaint at the office and ask for a complaint number.
- The oil company. Call the LPG toll-free helpline 1800 2333 555, or use the complaint option in your company’s app or website: IndianOil ONE, HP Pay or Hello BPCL. Bharat Gas customers can also use 1800 22 4344.
- The company’s grievance officers. Oil companies have public grievance officers for LPG complaints. HP Gas, for example, lists them on its website.
- CPGRAMS, the government’s central online grievance portal, if the company doesn’t resolve it.
For short weight specifically, you can also approach your state’s Legal Metrology (weights and measures) department. And as a consumer, you can always seek help from the National Consumer Helpline (1915) or, for serious cases, file a complaint with the consumer commission online.
Evidence Worth Keeping
- The cash memo for the refill in question
- Your booking number and consumer number
- Date and time of the incident
- The delivery person’s name, if you know it
- Photos: the scale reading, the tare weight on the collar, a broken seal
- Payment proof if you paid anything extra by UPI
- Screenshots of any messages, and your complaint number from each step
How to Write a Complaint That Gets Action
Keep it short and factual. Include:
- Your name, consumer number and registered mobile number
- The distributor’s name
- The booking number and date
- What happened, in two or three sentences
- The amount involved, if any
- What you want: a refund, a replacement cylinder, or action against the staff
Attach photos and the cash memo if you’re complaining online. Avoid long emotional explanations. A clear, dated complaint with evidence is much harder to ignore.
Quick Answers
Do I have to pay the delivery person extra?
No. Pay only the amount on the cash memo. Delivery is included in the price.
Can I ask for the cylinder to be weighed?
Yes. Ask for it to be weighed at the door. The permitted shortfall on a 14.2 kg cylinder is 150 grams.
The agency insists I buy their stove with a new connection. Is that allowed?
No. Forced sale of hotplates and accessories is listed as an irregularity in the oil companies’ guidelines.
What is the LPG complaint number?
1800 2333 555 for complaints, and 1906 for leaks and emergencies.
My booking shows delivered but I didn’t get the cylinder. What should I do?
Complain to the company immediately with your booking number, and say you didn’t receive it or share your delivery code.
Pay Only What’s on the Memo
Most problems with gas agencies come down to a few things: extra money, light cylinders, forced sales and missed deliveries. The rules are on your side for every one of them. Pay only what’s on the cash memo, ask for the cylinder to be weighed if it feels light, keep your evidence, and complain in writing, starting with the distributor and going up from there.
The oil companies’ Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2022 list every irregularity mentioned here, along with the penalties. If your complaint got results, or got nowhere, tell us about it. It helps other readers know what works.
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