Official updates to the butane cylinder price were published this week in the State Gazette, signaling changes in the maximum retail price for small to mid-sized cylinders. The latest rate sits at 16.79 euros, reflecting recent shifts in the market after a period of regulatory adjustments by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.
Last year, the government froze the top price for butane cylinders at 19.55 euros through June 30, 2023, establishing a ceiling that manufacturers could not exceed by that date. This price cap applied to liquefied petroleum gas packaged in containers under 20 kilograms and with a load of at least 8 kilograms.
How much does a butane cylinder cost now?
As of the latest update, the maximum selling price is set at 16.79 euros, marking a change from the prior level of 17.66 euros. This adjustment helps align consumer costs with ongoing fluctuations in supply and exchange rates while maintaining regulatory oversight on price movements for essential cooking fuels.
Cheap butane gas stoves at Carrefour: take advantage of the offers
About 1 euro discount on the price of butane
The price of the butane cylinder has nudged downward again to 16.80 euros in March 2023. While the market for butane remains largely liberal, the conventional 12.5 kilogram cylinder continues to operate under a government-set maximum, ensuring that increases or decreases do not exceed about 5 percent. With the latest discount, the price of the cylinder has dropped by nearly one euro, a decrease of approximately 0.87 euros per bottle.
The bottle has gone up almost 5 euros in 3 years
This regulatory framework requires that suppliers sell the cylinder at the stated price, even when they offer other products at their own bundled or promotional rates. Although prices have eased recently, they remain far from the 2020 levels, when the same bottle cost around 12.09 euros in September of that year.
Butane stoves: discover the advantages and disadvantages
What does the price of a butane cylinder depend on?
The cost of a butane cylinder is revisited on a regular, bimonthly basis and factors in several global and local dynamics. Raw material costs for propane and butane in international markets play a central role, alongside freight or shipping expenses and shifts in the euro-dollar exchange rate. These elements together shape the final consumer price, as reported by industry observers.
The price movements reflect a mix of currency trends and logistics costs. A notable shift occurred this period as the euro strengthened against the dollar, and freight costs declined. At the same time, there was a rise in raw material costs, a tension offset only by the existing surplus in unit economics.