Price of regular butane gas bottle to drop in Spain from Tuesday

The price of a cylinder of butane gas will fall by five per cent from Tuesday 21 March, to 16.79 euros, according to a resolution published this Monday in Spain’s Official State Bulletin (BOE).

The maximum price per cylinder of butane will fall by 0.87 euros, to 16.79 euros, compared to the 17.66 euros it has cost since 17 January.

The maximum retail price of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) in containers of 8 to 20 kilograms (the traditional butane cylinder) is reviewed every two months on the third Tuesday of the month, by resolution of the Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines.

This revision is calculated on the basis of the cost of the raw material (propane and butane) on international markets, as well as the cost of freight (transport) and the evolution of the euro-dollar exchange rate.

The price revision is limited to a five per cent increase or decrease, with the excess or shortfall in price accumulating for application in subsequent revisions.

Royal Decree-Law 20/2022 has limited the maximum pre-tax price of bottled LPG between 8 and 20 kilograms until 30 June 2023, taking as a reference the price set by the resolution of 12 May 2022, of the Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines, at 19.55 euros.

Bottled LPG is a hydrocarbon mixture, mainly composed of butane, which serves as an alternative to natural gas for energy consumption in pressurised containers, especially in towns or urban areas without connection to the natural gas network.

Around 64.5 million LPG containers of different capacities are consumed annually in Spain. The demand for this type of gas has fallen by more than 25 per cent since 2010.

The Government has announced that vouchers for vulnerable customers will increase from 25 to 40 euros - approximately two butane cylinders - and the maximum to 375 euros in 2023, depending on the climate zone.