The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has slightly reduced the consumer-level prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for household cooking for the month of September.
According to a press release issued by BERC, the price of the most widely used 12-kilogramme (kg) LPG cylinder has been lowered by Tk13, bringing it down to Tk1,585 from the previous month’s rate of Tk1,598.
The adjusted rates will take effect from 6pm on Wednesday and will remain in force until further notice.
For the month of September, the retail price of private LPG has been set at Tk132.12 per kg (including Value Added Tax), representing a decrease of Tk1.03 per kg from August’s price of Tk133.15 per kg.
The commission has also revised the retail prices for private LPG cylinders of various other capacities for September.
Consumers will now have to pay Tk727 for a 5.5kg cylinder, Tk1,652 for a 12.5kg cylinder, Tk1,982 for a 15kg cylinder, and Tk2,114 for a 16kg cylinder.
Additionally, the price of an 18kg cylinder has been set at Tk2,378, a 20kg cylinder at Tk2,642, a 22kg cylinder at Tk2,907, a 25kg cylinder at Tk3,300, and a 30kg cylinder at Tk3,964.
For larger sizes, the prices have been fixed at Tk4,360 for a 33kg cylinder, Tk4,624 for a 35kg cylinder, and Tk5,945 for a 45kg cylinder.
Meanwhile, the price of autogas, used primarily as fuel for motor vehicles, has also been lowered by 58 paisa. Its price has been fixed at Tk73.09 per litre, down from Tk73.67 per litre in August.
For reticulated private LPG supplied in a liquid state, the price has been determined at Tk128.37 per kg (including VAT), while for gaseous supply, the price has been set at Tk0.28 per litre or Tk285.30 per cubic metre.
According to the regulator, local prices have been adjusted in accordance with the Saudi Contract Price (Saudi CP) for September published by Saudi Aramco.
The Saudi CP for September is $625 per metric tonne for propane and $660 per metric tonne for butane.
Factoring in a propane-to-butane ratio of 35:65, the weighted average Saudi CP has been considered at $647.75 per metric tonne.
While the average Saudi CP increased by $14.75 per metric tonne from August’s average of $633 per metric tonne, where propane was $620 and butane was $640, local retail prices decreased due to other cost reductions.
Specifically, BERC factored in a lower shipping freight and business premium of $160 per metric tonne (down from $180 in August) alongside a slightly stronger local currency, with the average US dollar exchange rate calculated at Tk123.30 compared to Tk123.69 in August.
In contrast to private LPG, the retail price of state-run LPG remains unchanged. The price of the government’s 12.5kg LPG cylinder remains fixed at Tk776.93.
The pricing trajectory for a standard 12kg cylinder reveals highly volatile market movements in recent months. In August, the price increased by Tk70 to Tk1,598, with autogas at Tk73.67 per litre, following a sharp cut of Tk357 in July that had brought the cylinder price down to Tk1,528 and autogas to Tk70.40 per litre.
In June, BERC reduced the 12kg cylinder price by Tk55 to Tk1,885. Prior to these cuts, prices surged dramatically in April, with hikes of Tk387 on 2 April (to Tk1,728) and Tk212 on 19 April (to Tk1,940), resulting in a cumulative two-phase surge of Tk599.
Overall, after the April hike, prices fell by Tk412 across June and July, increased by Tk70 in August, and have now decreased by Tk13 for September.
BERC has strictly reiterated that bottled LPG, reticulated LPG, or autogas cannot be sold at any price exceeding the official rates set by the commission. This directive applies uniformly across all levels of the supply chain, including storage, bottling, distribution, and retail.
