The price of the butane cylinder rises again by another 5% starting this Tuesday, January 16. It will be the second increase in a row, according to the resolution published in the Official State Gazette (BOE). The regulated cost is updated every two months and before the upward revisions it marked six two-month downward periods.
In this way, with the change in trend, the butane cylinder most used in homes, the 12.5 kilo one, will cost 15.89 euros, an increase of 75 cents from the 15.14 euros it marked in November.
The increase is another negative news for consumers, which adds to the rise in prices with the beginning of the new year, which leaves increases in the cost of electricity, gas or transportation. With the arrival of cold weather, those who use butane for heating will see their outlay increase. The cylinder is also used in the domestic sphere for kitchens or for hot water.
In any case, it is far from the highs it reached in 2022, when it was around 20 euros per cylinder, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and a few months with gas exploding in international markets. At that time a maximum price of 19.55 euros even had to be set.
The price revision, upward or downward, is limited to 5%, with the excess or price reduction that exceeds it being accumulated for subsequent revisions. On this occasion, the main impact is the increase in the cost of freight (4%) and the high price of raw materials, despite the fact that their price has decreased (-3.1%), as well as the appreciation that the euro has experienced against to the dollar (2.2%) in the last two months. The marketing cost, for its part, remains the same.
Bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly composed of butane, that serves as an alternative to natural gas for energy consumption, especially in towns or urban centers without connection to the natural gas network. When choosing one option or another, factors such as the use made, the weather or the availability of alternatives must be taken into account.
Currently, 64.5 million LPG containers of different capacities are consumed annually, a figure that is decreasing, with a decrease of more than 25% between 2010 and 2021.
