The cost of an orange butano gas canister went up by five percent this week, which means that prices have gone up by 20 percent in just under a year. Government-set prices only apply to orange gas bottles, although a few euros’ extra is charged when these are on a contract and delivered door-to-door.
The lighter, silver bottles bought from distributors directly or from petrol stations are not subject to State-regulated prices, and retailers are permitted to charge what they wish.
A typical orange bottle used by householders for heating and cooking has gone up to €13.52 from the previous price of €12.89 up to Monday, although the fuel industry says it should really have increased by 14 percent up to €14.74.
National laws prevent gas bottle prices from rising or falling by more than five percent.