Propane, natural gas or butane… Which is cheaper?

Every winter, many families struggle to pay their utility bills. Bills that are especially high during this cold period.

We have sometimes seen people who cannot afford to pay their bills cancel their gas supply and start using butane. It is true that using butane cylinders can save on the fixed costs associated with a piped gas contract, but butane is not always a good option since, apart from the economic issue, which we will now analyze, the use of butane involves an increase in humidity in the environment, which leads to a greater sensation of cold. This means that, to achieve a feeling of thermal comfort, more butane must be burned and therefore the associated expense is higher.

Although the natural gas network is quite extensive, it does not reach the entire territory and there are municipalities and urban areas that have a propane network. So let’s compare, in economic terms, the three fuels most frequently used to heat homes.

Price of natural gas

As of July 1, 2026, the prices for the Last Resort Rate are as follows:

* Resolution of June 25, 2026, of the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, by which the last resort tariff for natural gas is published.

To these values ​​must be added the hydrocarbon tax, meter rental if applicable and VAT.

Price of piped propane

The prices of piped liquefied petroleum gases are set by the Ministry of Industry and include the price of the fixed term (€/month) and the variable term (€/kg).

As of July 21, 2026, the following are in force:

• Fixed term: €1.60/month
• Variable term: €80.7917/kg.

* Resolution of July 9, 2026, of the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, by which the new selling prices, before taxes, of liquefied petroleum gases by pipeline are published.

To this price must be added the hydrocarbon tax and the VAT in the Iberian Peninsula.

Butane price

From September 15, 2026, the price of the 12.5 kg cylinder is set at €18.84.

*In March 2025, the Government changed the methodology for calculating the price of butane, with modifications to several variables, including the extension of the price variation limit. More information here .

*Resolution of September 8, 2026, of the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines, by which the new maximum selling prices, before taxes, of packaged liquefied petroleum gases are published, in containers with a load equal to or greater than 8 kg, and less than 20 kg, excluding mixing containers for the use of liquefied petroleum gases as fuel.

So, which is more economical?

The price of a butane cylinder is the cheapest, since it has no associated fixed costs, but in unit terms of €/kg, propane and natural gas have a lower price. Therefore, the most economical gas source will depend on the use we make of it . In comparative terms, if we use more than 4 butane cylinders, this source is no longer the most economical.

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