Consumer group warns bottled gas could hit €40 by end of 2026

Bottled gas prices in Portugal keep climbing, and a 13-kilo butane cylinder could cost €40 before the end of 2026, according to consumer group DECO PROteste. The regulator ERSE puts the average price at €37.31 in May, up from €34.11 in January, with October averages above €37.50. Around 2.1 million households still rely on cylinders for cooking and hot water. Tensions in the Middle East are pushing up energy markets, and a supply chain lag of about two months means wholesale rises reach consumers later. The group again urges a reduced 6% VAT rate on bottled and piped gas.