How to Complain About an LPG Cylinder Delivery in India

If your booked domestic LPG refill is late, recorded as delivered without reaching you, or accompanied by a disputed charge, start with the distributor and create a clear written record. If the issue remains unresolved, use the official complaint channel for your oil marketing company (OMC): IndianOil for Indane, BPCL for Bharatgas, or HPCL for HP Gas. Keep the refill booking reference separate from each complaint docket or interaction number.

Check the booking and delivery status first

Open the official OMC app or website, or use contact details shown on a recent cash memo. Note the booking number and date, consumer number or LPG ID, distributor, payment reference, and any cash memo or delivery-status message. Do not rely on an unfamiliar phone number or payment link sent by a caller or message.

Ask the distributor whether the refill is pending, dispatched, or recorded as delivered, and what action is needed next. If the system says “delivered” but you have not received the cylinder, state that plainly. Ask the distributor to check the delivery record and any authentication details, correct the status if it is wrong, and give you a complaint reference. Do not confirm receipt just to close a call or obtain another service.

Ask the distributor or OMC when your booked refill is expected, which service standard applies to your booking, and when you should expect the next update.

Use the complaint route for your OMC

When you report the issue, describe what happened in one sentence, provide the booking reference, and request a complaint docket or interaction number. Record the date, channel, reference and promised next step. Save a copy or screenshot of a form submission.

If you started with the distributor and have not received a useful response, raise the same factual issue through the OMC’s central route. Keep both references so the company can connect the complaint to the original booking.

Check the cylinder and amount at handover

When a cylinder arrives, check the seal, safety cap and visible condition before accepting it. You can ask the delivery person to demonstrate the weight and compare the amount collected with the cash memo. The Bharatgas consumer guidance card describes checks customers can make at delivery; IndianOil’s Indane information and FAQs also advise checking the seal and safety cap.

If you suspect a short weight, broken seal, damage, an unexplained extra charge or a demand for a tip, note the specific issue and raise it with the distributor and OMC. Keep the receipt and any available booking, payment and delivery records. Some OMC deliveries use a Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) or another confirmation step. Follow the instructions in your official account or message, and share a delivery code only as part of an actual delivery after checking the cylinder. Never share an OTP, UPI PIN, password, card security code or banking credential with a caller who says it is needed to release a refill, subsidy or refund.

Use 1906 only for a suspected LPG leak

1906 is an LPG leakage-emergency helpline, not a routine delivery-complaint number. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas describes it as a multilingual, 24x7 helpline for LPG leakage emergencies. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, move to a safe place, call 1906 and follow the operator’s instructions. Do not try to repair the cylinder, regulator or hose yourself.

Escalate with a short, factual timeline

1. Write down the sequence. Include the booking date and reference, status checks, any delivery attempt, what the distributor or OMC told you, and each complaint number.
2. Attach only relevant records. A booking confirmation, cash memo, payment receipt, delivery message and complaint response are usually more useful than a long narrative. Redact identity and banking details that are not needed for the complaint.
3. Ask for a specific next step. For example, request a delivery-status check and correction, an update on a pending refill, review of a charge, or investigation of a disputed delivery record.
4. Consider the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). The Department of Consumer Affairs lists 1915 and 1800-11-4000, with phone support from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. except national holidays. You can also use the official NCH contact page to access its web portal, app, UMANG, WhatsApp and SMS options. NCH describes its service as a pre-litigation grievance route: it issues a docket and forwards the grievance to the relevant company or authority, but registration does not guarantee a particular outcome. Keep the docket and check the current contact instructions before use. For a fuller walkthrough of NCH and e-Jagriti, see our guide to raising a consumer complaint online in India.
5. Get advice before a formal case. NCH says a consumer who remains dissatisfied may approach the appropriate Consumer Commission. This guide does not assess legal eligibility, limitation periods, evidence requirements or jurisdiction. Ask a qualified Indian consumer-law adviser about your facts and current procedure; do not assume that a company complaint or NCH registration pauses a legal deadline.

If a message or payment request looks suspicious

Do not call back using a number in a suspicious message or install an app at a caller’s direction. Open the official OMC app or type its website address yourself to check the booking and payment status. If you may have paid twice, check the first transaction with your bank or payment provider and the OMC before paying again. If money has just moved to a suspected fraudster, contact your bank or payment provider promptly through a verified channel and call 1930 or report through the Government of India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. For the reporting steps and records to preserve, see our guide to reporting a cybercrime complaint in India. If you knowingly transferred money to the wrong UPI recipient, see what to do after a mistaken UPI transfer; if a debit occurred without your authorisation, see our guide to reporting an unauthorised bank transaction in India. These are separate reporting or payment steps, not substitutes for an OMC delivery complaint. Reporting does not guarantee recovery of funds.

Records to keep

• OMC name, consumer number or LPG ID, distributor and verified contact route
• Booking reference and date, status messages and any cash memo
• Amount charged, payment method and transaction reference
• What happened and when, including whether anyone witnessed it
• Distributor and OMC complaint references, dates, replies and requested next steps
• Copies of relevant messages or forms, stored safely with unnecessary personal and banking details removed before sharing

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if my LPG refill is marked delivered but I did not receive it?

Contact your distributor through a verified route and say clearly that you did not receive the cylinder. Ask them to check the delivery record and any authentication details, correct an inaccurate status, and give you a complaint or interaction reference.

Is 1906 the number for a delayed LPG delivery?

No. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas describes 1906 as a 24x7 LPG leakage-emergency helpline. Use your oil marketing company’s published complaint route for a routine delivery issue.

Can I take an LPG delivery complaint to the National Consumer Helpline?

You can register a consumer grievance with the National Consumer Helpline through its official channels. NCH describes this as a pre-litigation route that forwards grievances to the relevant company or authority; it does not guarantee a particular remedy.

This guide provides general consumer information, not legal advice. Check current instructions with the relevant oil marketing company, and seek qualified advice about a formal legal case.
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