Change in rules from February 1
As soon as the month of February starts, there is going to be a direct impact on the common man’s pocket and everyday life. Today i.e. 1st February 2026 is very important for the country. On one hand, the Union Budget will be presented in the Parliament, on the other hand, due to it being the first of the month, changes in many rules and prices will also come into effect. From the prices of LPG to the Fastag on your vehicle and the credit card in your pocket, you will have to face new updates on many fronts. Let us understand in detail what is going to change in your life from today.
Doubt over kitchen and travel expenses
On the first of every month, oil companies review the prices of LPG gas cylinders. New prices of LPG can be released early in the morning on 1st February also. If we look at the trend of the last few months, a lot of fluctuations have been seen in the prices of commercial gas cylinders. Last month itself, commercial cylinder had become cheaper by Rs 14.50. Now everyone’s eyes are on whether there will be any relief in domestic LPG prices or whether there will be a spike in inflation on the budget day.
There is a strong possibility of change not only in kitchen but also in the prices of CNG and PNG. Big announcements related to fuel are often made on the budget day, in such a situation if the price of CNG increases then it will have a direct impact on your travel expenses. Apart from this, the prices of air fuel (ATF) will also be decided today, which may affect the air fares in the coming days.
Hobbies will now be heavy on the pocket
If you consume cigarettes, pan masala or tobacco products, you may have to loosen your purse strings from February 1. The government is preparing to increase the scope of tax on these products. According to reports, excise duty and cess on these harmful products may be increased. This increase will be different from normal GST. This simply means that the cost of products like cigarettes and gutkha will increase and the entire burden will be passed on to the consumer. Such tough decisions are often taken keeping health in mind in the budget.
Big relief to vehicle owners, but shock to bank customers
There is a reassuring news for those driving on the road. National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has ended a major hassle related to FASTag. From February 1, there will be no need to do KYC verification again and again for Fastag. Now this responsibility will be entirely on those banks which issue Fastag. The bank itself will have to thoroughly investigate the vehicle and the owner before issuing the Fastag, which will save the time of the general public.
However, the rules are becoming a little stricter for credit card users. Big banks like HDFC and ICICI are changing their rules. HDFC’s ‘Infinia Metal’ card holders will now be able to redeem their reward points only five times in a month. At the same time, ICICI Bank is going to stop the facility of free movie tickets available through BookMyShow on some of its selected cards.
Change in SBI IMPS Transaction Service Charge
SBI has revised the service charges of some of its IMPS transactions. From February 15, 2026, the service charge on online SBI IMPS transactions above Rs 25,000 and up to Rs 1 lakh will be Rs 2 plus GST. SBI online IMPS transactions above Rs 1 lakh and up to Rs 2 lakh will now be charged Rs 6 plus GST. Similarly, for amounts above Rs 2 lakh and up to Rs 5 lakh, the online IMPS transaction service charge will be Rs 10 plus GST.
PNB alert for KYC update
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has requested its customers to update their KYC information as per RBI guidelines. If the KYC update date of your account is till December 31, 2025, then PNB has requested that you update your KYC by February 2, 2026. Please note that failure to update may result in a ban on your account.