The price of butane gas cylinders brought bad news to Spanish consumers in mid-July, in its latest update. Energy raw materials have skyrocketed in recent months, a result of widespread inflation, affecting everything from electricity to fuel. This situation has not gone unnoticed by butane gas either.
In this regard, the latest review (Tuesday, July 21st) set the maximum retail price of the butane cylinder at 17.83 euros , a 16% increase compared to the 15.39 euros of the previous review, according to the resolution published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) .
The next exact date on which the price of a butane cylinder will be reviewed and changed tomorrow, Tuesday, 15th September, 2026. The corresponding resolution from the Ministry for Ecological Transition will be published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) the day before, on Monday, 14th September, 2026.
It’s important to remember that several variables influence the price of propane, such as the cost of raw materials (propane and butane) on international markets, freight costs, and the euro-dollar exchange rate. This time, there has been a decrease in raw material prices (-33.35%) and a sharp increase in freight costs (+51.88%), as well as a depreciation of the euro against the dollar (-0.32%), according to sources at the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
End of the VAT and excise tax reduction
Furthermore, on June 30th, the government’s tax breaks, which reduced the VAT on butane and eliminated the hydrocarbon tax, ended. This product reached its lowest price since 2024 in its last update back in May: €15.39.
Without taking into account the end of the temporary VAT reduction, the increase in the price of the butane cylinder would be 4.94% compared to the last review.
Declining consumption
The price drop in May allowed Spanish households to face the summer with the lowest cost since July 2014, when a butane cylinder cost €15.34. However, the use of traditional butane continues its structural decline in Spain: its consumption has fallen by more than 12% in recent years, driven by the expansion of natural gas and the advancement of systems such as heat pumps. Currently, only one in four Spanish homes still uses butane cylinders, compared to natural gas, which now reaches almost half of all households. Even so, it remains the only source of domestic energy in many rural areas and for the most vulnerable households.
A bimonthly review
The maximum selling price of bottled liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) in containers of between 8 and 20 kilograms—the traditional butane cylinder—is not deregulated. Its price is reviewed every two months on the third Tuesday of the month, by resolution of the Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines, in accordance with the formula approved in Order IET/389/2015.
This bimonthly review is calculated based on the cost of raw materials (propane and butane) in international markets, as well as the cost of freight (transport) and the evolution of the euro-dollar exchange rate, among other elements, such as the marketing cost or the contribution to the National Energy Efficiency Fund.
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