The price of a domestic 12.5k butane bottle went up today, reaching a price that has never been paid before: 17.5 euros. That’s a 2.15% rise on the previous price and gives a total increase so far in 2013 of 7.2%.

For anybody that’s been out here for five minutes this figure translates into almost a staggering 3,000 pesetas a bottle.

The GLP or Liquid-Petroleum-Gas price now stands at 114,20 centimes per kilo before tax, giving us a figure of 9,13 euros a bottle. Once you add IVA and the Green Tax (another newcomer that arrived this year) the price works out at 17.5 euros, meaning that just over 46% of the total are taxes.

The Ministry of Industry says that the new system for fixing the price is updated every two months and claims that “this will protect the consumer.” From what? From having too much money? Fantastic news for the eight million users of these butane bottle in Spain…