The price of a butane cylinder increases starting this Monday: this is what it will cost from today

The price of a butane cylinder increases starting this Monday: this is what it will cost from today

The Official State Gazette (BOE) publishes today January 20th new butane cylinder priceafter its last update. Until now, the price of the orange bottle was 16.61 euros, according to what this official document announced and now it will be modified again, always respecting the 5% limit. Its new price is 16.64 eurosa figure that is between 15.77 and 17.44 euros, since it should not exceed these values.

The change in the cost of the butane cylinder, essential in many homes, is regulated by the Order IET/389/2015. And this rule explains that the price must be reviewed bimonthly (every 2 months), coming into effect on Tuesday of the third week of the corresponding month. In this way, even though today is January 1, the price of butane will not change until Tuesday the 21st (one day later).

But Why does the butane cylinder change price? To understand it, it is necessary to know how prices are established and what must be taken into account as established by the standard.

Change in the price of the butane cylinder in January 2025

The price of the butane cylinder is regulated in order to protect users from increases that could damage their household economies. For example, when the war began in Ukraine, fuel prices rose sharply, which led several countries to approve regulations to regulate them.

One of them, the Government of Spain, which ordered that prices be reviewed every two months and the modifications come into force on Tuesdays of the third week of the corresponding month. The factors that influence this price are:

  • The raw material: Butane and propane, which are the components of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), are under prices in international markets, so the cost changes depending on fluctuations.
  • Transportation cost: The gases have to be brought from Algeria or the North Sea and until they reach the homes they have significant expenses. These are called freight charges and must also be added to the final price.
  • Exchange from dollar to euro: As money, in the case of international trade, appears in dollars, when it comes to converting it to the European currency, there are also variations.
  • When they are done reviews with other pricesdifferences also appear that will have to be accumulated.

For all this, the price of the cylinder has remained unchanged until the new modification appeared in the BOE.

This is how the price of the butane cylinder is calculated

He butane cylinder price can be calculated following several steps and taking into account what is established by current regulations. The first thing is to know how much the maximum price is without taxes. An amount that appears every two months in the BOE.

This depends on the international price of both butane and propane, which are the components of liquefied gas, as well as transportation costs (freight) and the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar.

When the price without taxes is known, the corresponding taxes are calculated. That is, we will have to add the special hydrocarbon taxwhich is 1.5 cents per kilogram (15 euros per ton) and, finally, VAT is applied (21%).

How the price of the butane cylinder is evolving

Since the year 2000 the price of the butane cylinder has been changing. In January of that year, it cost only 2.33 euros. But between 2015 and 2021, this price increased, between 11.27 and 17.50 euros. A rise that has continued to be appreciated. Prices, in 2021, experienced a great increase in each revision, reaching the record of 19.55 euros in 2022, the highest price ever recorded.

Seeing this, the Government intervened to protect families, establishing the limit of 19.55 euros with Royal Decree Law 11/2022. It was maintained until June 2023. And it has been changing depending on international quotes and the euro – dollar exchange rate.

On the other hand, light cylinders, which weigh less than 9 kilos, have continued to maintain the unregulated price that changes depending on the distributors (Repsol, Cepsa and Disa Gas).