The editorial team received a complaint through its chatbot from residents of the Algabas neighborhood in Almaty. People expressed outrage over the sharp increase in natural gas prices and shared notices informing them of the new tariffs.
Our correspondent looked into whether the nearly 45% price hike is justified and how the new tariff for consumers was calculated.
The dispute began on June 23, 2026, when Tauyekel-N-Algabas LLP notified its subscribers of upcoming tariff changes.
Until then, residents had been paying 49.35 tenge per cubic meter of natural gas. In their collective complaints, Almaty residents said the tariff could rise to 71.37 tenge per cubic meter starting August 1.
Residents calculated their future expenses and found that if heating an 80-square-meter private house had cost an average of 22,000 tenge per month during the previous heating season, the monthly bill would now increase to nearly 31,900 tenge. In addition to the tariff hike, residents accused the private gas supplier of providing poor-quality service.
According to local residents, gas pressure in the pipelines dropped significantly during the winter months. They also alleged that the supplier had unjustifiably inflated its costs when calculating the new tariff. Subscribers called on the city administration and the relevant government agencies to conduct an investigation, reduce the tariff, and allow consumers to switch gas suppliers.
The price increase in Algabas came amid a nationwide revision of gas prices. Since July 1, 2026, Kazakhstan’s average wholesale natural gas price has increased by 33%.
The Ministry of Energy said the decision was necessary to ensure a stable heating season and to modernize the country’s gas infrastructure.