GAS bottle prices have gone down for the first time in many years, by 9.7%.
A typical 12.5-kilo butane bottle, used for cookers, heaters or barbecues in homes that are not on mains gas has just gone down to €15.80 and will remain at this price until the end of April.
Costs of gas bottles have been frozen for two years after a series of hikes that saw them double in price, but the ministry of industry has applied a new formula in calculating prices of gas.
In fact, it is likely the price will go down again in May and June in line with current previsions.
Every two months, gas costs are reviewed in keeping with international purchase prices for the raw material and maximum and minimum limits are applied to the end price to the consumer.
For the last two years, the cost of a butane bottle has been unable to go up or down by more than 5%, meaning in practice it has stayed the same since early 2013, when it was set at €17.50.
The new prices will come into force from Monday next week.
Even with the lower cost, the government's energy deficit in terms of gas will have been wiped out by the end of June, the ministry says.
This will prove a relief to householders, who have seen prices rise from around €7 to €8 a bottle in 2006, depending upon whether they have it delivered on a contract or buy it directly.
