Gas Bottle Spain: Ordering, Exchanging and Checking a Bombona de Butano

If you live on Mallorca in a finca without a mains gas connection – and there are many – you can't avoid the orange gas bottle. It supplies the hob, often the water heater too, and in some houses also a gas heater in winter. The bombona de butano is therefore, for many residents, not a camping accessory but the central energy source in the household. In this guide you'll learn what a gas bottle in Spain is currently allowed to cost, where and how to order or exchange one, why butane and propane differ in price, and – something that's often overlooked – when and by whom your gas installation must be legally inspected. At the end there's a checklist so you don't miss any deadline.

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Why bottled gas is the norm on Mallorca

Mallorca doesn't have a comprehensive mains gas network. Unless you happen to live in a development connected to a local gas grid, you heat and cook with bottled gas – butane or propane, liquefied in steel or lightweight bottles. For fincas, village houses and older flats, the bottle remains the most practical solution: it needs no connection, no meter, and it still works even when the power goes out.

The fact that the legislator sets a maximum price for this particular bottle has the same reason: for a significant proportion of households it's basic supply, not a comfort item. That's why it sits – unlike electricity or heating oil – within a regulated framework that you should know before you pay.

German gas bottles brought over from Germany generally can neither be refilled nor exchanged in Spain. The main reason isn't technical but lies in the system behind it: the bottles belong to the respective distributor and only circulate within their own stock. On top of that, valves and pressure regulators differ. So if you live on Mallorca long-term, you need a Spanish bottle.

Ordering and exchanging a gas bottle: how it works

The market for bottled gas is state-regulated in Spain, which makes the process more standardised than you might initially expect. For your first purchase, you usually sign a supply contract (contrato de suministro) with a provider – this doesn't create an obligation to purchase, but simply establishes who will deliver or exchange bottles for you going forward.

1. Choosing a provider: for butane bottles, Spain has wholesalers who are obliged to deliver to homes within their area – the Resolución on the maximum price explicitly refers to operadores al por mayor de GLP, con obligación de suministro domiciliario. In rural areas, delivery to your door is therefore the norm, not a special service. Whether it costs anything in a given case is something the distributor will tell you.
2. To sign a contract you'll usually need an official photo ID; depending on the provider, proof of address for your property on Mallorca may also be required.
3. Alternatively, you can buy bottles directly at petrol stations, hardware shops or specialised distribution points, or exchange an empty one for a full one — without an ongoing supply contract.
4. When exchanging, you only pay for the fill, not the bottle itself — that stays in circulation with the distributor.

Note: A supply contract generally doesn't create an obligation to purchase. The exact cancellation terms are set by the respective provider — check directly with the distributor before signing.

Which bottle you have in front of you — and why that determines the price

Before price comes the question of type, because the regulation isn't tied to "gas bottle" as such, but to three features: contents, fill quantity and empty weight (tare weight). Once you understand this, a glance at the bottle tells you whether a maximum price applies.

In practice this means: the heavy orange steel cylinder containing 12.5 kg of butane is the standard case subject to price regulation. The lighter cylinder, which is more comfortable to carry, and any propane cylinder are not – there, the supplier sets the price itself. Propane does have a practical advantage, though: it vaporises reliably even at low temperatures, whereas butane loses pressure in the cold. For a cylinder kept outdoors in winter, that's a genuine argument in its favour.

What may a gas cylinder cost? The official maximum price

Unlike most everyday goods, the Spanish state sets a binding maximum retail price for the classic butane cylinder. The legal basis is the Orden IET/389/2015 of 5 March, as amended by the Orden TED/211/2025 of 4 March. The Dirección General de Política Energética y Minas reviews the price every two months and publishes it in the BOE; a new figure takes effect on the third Tuesday of the review month.

The currently applicable value comes from the Resolución of 9 July 2026 (BOE No. 175 of 20.07.2026, ref. BOE-A-2026-15740): since midnight on 21 July 2026, the maximum price before tax has stood at 117.5664 cents per kilogram. For the standard 12.5 kg cylinder, this works out to €14.70 before tax. Spanish VAT is added on top of this amount, so the actual price at the till is higher – the current final price including tax will be given to you by the respective distributor.

The reviews fall in the odd-numbered months: January, March, May, July, September, November. If you need the current up-to-date value, look in the BOE for the most recent Resolución from the Dirección General de Política Energética y Minas regarding the butano comercial envasado – the number in this guide is that of the bimester which began on 21 July 2026.

Note: The maximum price is not a fixed figure for the whole year, but is recalculated every two months – depending on raw material prices, freight costs and the euro-dollar exchange rate.

Why the price never jumps as sharply as the raw material

The formula contains a brake, and it explains why the price on the bottle moves more calmly than the quotations on the raw material markets: if the calculated price rises by more than five percent compared with the previous bimester, the increase is capped. The difference does not simply disappear, though – it carries over as a so-called desajuste into the following revisions, where it is made up. Since the change introduced by Orden TED/211/2025, an additional surcharge of 1.322 cents per kilogram may also be applied as long as the cap is in effect – working out to around 20 cents for the 12.5 kg bottle.

How large this catch-up amount can be is stated in the current Resolución itself: the compensation amount used in the calculation stood at 32.6573 cents per kilogram, with 29.1263 cents earmarked for the following revision. In other words: part of today's price is catching up on the past, and a remainder is still outstanding.

On top of this comes a point that renders many online price comparisons useless: until 30 June 2026, a statutory price cap applied. Real Decreto-ley 7/2026 of 20 March stipulated that the maximum price could not exceed the value set in the Resolución of 12 May 2022. This cap has since expired. Older articles quoting a noticeably lower bottle price are referring to this frozen state – not to the current legal situation.

What the maximum price explicitly does not apply to

This is the point where most accounts become imprecise – and the reason why you pay different amounts for what appears to be the same quantity of gas. The scope is stated literally in the first paragraph of the Resolución. The maximum price does not:

• apply to bottles with an empty weight (tara) of 9 kg or less, i.e. the lightweight bottles,
• to propane in bottles,
• to mixed-gas bottles used as vehicle fuel.

For these exceptions, the respective supplier sets the price freely. So anyone who chooses the lighter bottle because it's easier to carry is, at the same time, leaving the regulated segment – a connection that is nowhere stated at the point of purchase. In addition: in the Canaries as well as in Ceuta and Melilla, the relevant authorities may apply different marketing costs. For the Balearics, the regular value applies unchanged; being an island makes no difference to the maximum price.

Suppliers on Mallorca at a glance

Several distributors are active on the market, including Repsol and Moeve (formerly Cepsa). You will deliberately not find a ranking or recommendation here – the offers differ according to delivery area, bottle type, and whether a delivery contract or a pure exchange service is offered. To find a local installer or distributor near you, the Directory of businesses: House, Garden & Services.

The recurring inspection of gas installations: every 5 years

What many bottled gas customers don't know: even a pure bottled gas installation without a network connection is subject to a legal inspection requirement. The legal basis is the Reglamento técnico de distribución y utilización de combustibles gaseosos (RD 919/2006), specifically the technical instruction ITC-ICG 07 section 4.2, as amended by RD 542/2020 of 26 May.

The regulation essentially states: owners – or, alternatively, users – of gas installations that are not supplied via a distribution network are responsible for commissioning an inspection every five years by an authorised gas installation company (empresa instaladora de gas habilitada as defined under ITC-ICG 09). The inspection covers everything from the user shut-off valve (llave de usuario) up to and including the appliances, as long as the installed capacity does not exceed 70 kW.

Note: The inspection does not happen automatically – unlike with a car, there's no central reminder system. You are responsible for arranging it in good time yourself.

The exception – and why it's narrowly defined

Not every bottled gas connection falls under the inspection requirement. According to ITC-ICG 06 section 4, the inspection is not mandatory for installations with a single LPG cylinder under 15 kg that is connected via a flexible hose or directly to a single mobile gas appliance – for example, a camping stove or a portable gas heater. This exception does not apply generally to every kitchen cylinder: as soon as the cylinder is permanently connected to a cooker, a water heater, or multiple appliances, the regular five-year requirement applies.

The connecting hose: what you should watch out for

For the flexible hose between the cylinder and the appliance, there is no fixed replacement interval publicly available in the BOE – claims such as 'every five years' or 'every ten years', which occasionally circulate in forums, cannot be verified using the available sources. What is confirmed is that the hose is one of the components checked during the recurring inspection under ITC-ICG 07. In practical terms, this means:

• Check whether your hose has a legible marking.
• Check whether a printed expiry date has already passed.
• A hose without a legible marking or with an expired date will be flagged during the five-year inspection and must be replaced.

Beware of dubious "gas inspectors" at the door

Because the inspection requirement exists but isn't automatically monitored, disreputable providers occasionally exploit the topic to push inspections or repairs at your doorstep. A few simple rules of conduct will protect you:

• Always ask for ID and the name of the installation company before letting anyone in.
• Never pay cash at the door — especially not for an alleged "emergency inspection".
• If you've already commissioned a company for the inspection, call them if in doubt and ask whether a technician is actually on the way.
• Get written confirmation of what was inspected or replaced.

Most common mistakes

• Price confusion between butane and propane: Many expect the official maximum price to apply to every cylinder – it only applies to the heavy 12.5 kg butane cylinder, not to propane or lightweight cylinders.
• Forgetting the inspection requirement: Since no authority sends an automatic reminder, the five years often pass unnoticed – until the question comes up during a property sale or insurance claim.
• Misunderstanding the exception: The exception for mobile single appliances is often mistakenly applied to the permanently connected kitchen cylinder.
• Bringing a German gas cylinder: It generally can't be refilled or exchanged in Spain – a Spanish cylinder is needed on-site.
• Underestimating contract commitment: A supply contract usually doesn't establish a minimum purchase requirement – you should have the specific cancellation terms confirmed by the provider before signing, rather than underestimating them.

What comes next?

Once your gas supply is set up, it's worth taking a look at your household's other running costs: electricity, water and internet in Mallorca often run through separate providers and schedules. Information on registering for electricity can be found in the guide Registering for electricity in Spain. If you're also considering alternatives to the cylinder – such as a heat pump or infrared heating – you'll find an overview in the guide Heating in Mallorca.

Also note the date of your last gas inspection – ideally straight into your calendar five years in advance, since no external reminder will be sent.

Checklist: gas cylinder in Mallorca

• Provider selected (supply contract or simple exchange)
• For signing the contract: photo ID and, if applicable, proof of address ready
• Cylinder type clarified: butane (standard, price-regulated at 12.5 kg) or propane (more frost-resistant, free pricing)
• Checked the current maximum price before tax for reference (BOE publication every two months)
• Noted the date of the last gas installation inspection, and arrange a new one after 5 years at the latest
• Researched an authorised gas installation company for the inspection (don't hire one spontaneously at the door)
• Checked the connection hose for a legible label and expiry date
• When switching providers: cancel the existing supply contract within the required notice period

Conclusion

Bottled gas remains the rule rather than the exception for most fincas and older flats in Mallorca – and dealing with it is simpler than it might first appear: ordering or exchanging bottles is done through established distributors, and the price for the classic 12.5 kg butane bottle is capped by the state and reset every two months. More important than the price, however, is the often-overlooked obligation for many residents to have their own gas installation inspected by an authorised specialist company every five years – an obligation that no one will automatically remind you of. Anyone who keeps track of these deadlines and stays alert with door-to-door providers will generally have no nasty surprises with gas supply in Mallorca.

Official sources

• Orden IET/389/2015 and its amendment Orden TED/211/2025, as well as the Resolución of 9 July 2026 (BOE-A-2026-15740) — https://www.boe.es
• Real Decreto 919/2006 (Technical regulation on the distribution and use of gaseous fuels) — https://www.boe.es
• Real Decreto 542/2020 (Amendment of the technical instructions ITC-ICG) — https://www.boe.es
• Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), general search for regulations — https://www.boe.es