Spain’s butane “bombona” canister hits four-year high as prices rise again

Those living in Spain who use the traditional orange butane bottle will be paying more from Tuesday, September 15, after the latest government price review.

The standard 12.5kg “bombona de butano” will now cost a maximum of €18.84, up from €17.83. That is an increase of €1.01, or 4.96 per cent. Spain’s regulated butane bottle has now reached its highest price in four years, although it is still below the record €19.55 reached in 2022.

For households using butane for cooking, hot water or other domestic needs, the increase will be felt every time a replacement bottle is bought.

Why has the butane price gone up?

International costs are largely behind the latest increase. Prices for the raw materials used to make butane have risen, while transport costs have also gone up. Changes in the exchange rate between the euro and US dollar are another factor because international energy commodities are traded in dollars.

A temporary reduction in Spain’s Hydrocarbons Tax has also been taken into account when calculating the new price. Without that tax measure and the legal limit on how much the regulated price can rise during each review, the latest calculation would have produced a slightly higher price of €18.89.

Spanish regulations limit increases or decreases in the regulated butane price to 5 per cent at each two-month review. Any difference between the calculated price and the amount consumers actually pay is carried forward to future reviews.

How much has the bombona risen in 2026?

Anyone who has been buying butane throughout 2026 will have noticed quite a change. The 12.5kg bottle cost €15.58 in January before rising to €16.35 in March. It then dropped to €15.39 in May before jumping to €17.83 in July.

Tuesday’s new price of €18.84 means the bombona has risen by €3.45 since May, an increase of more than 22 per cent in just four months. Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition reviews the regulated price every two months, with the next change expected in November.

Who does the new price affect?

This regulated maximum applies to standard bottled butane containers between 8kg and 20kg, including the familiar 12.5kg bottle used by many households. Prices for some lighter bottles sold by companies such as Repsol and Cepsa are not controlled in the same way, so their prices can differ.

Butane is still particularly useful for homes without access to mains gas, as well as holiday properties and households that use bottled gas for cooking or hot water. For British residents in Spain who rely on the traditional bombona, Tuesday’s change is therefore a simple one to remember: the maximum price of the standard 12.5kg bottle is now €18.84. You might want to pop out this evening and get one before the price rises.