# Gas in Spain



## captmike (Sep 30, 2008)

I live in southern Spain and the day before yesterday I noticed for the first time that the lightweight plastic gas bottles are now available here. They are the same size and shape as the CEPSA (silver coloured) bottles and of course use the usual Spanish regulator connection. They are available from CEPSA, or at least I saw them on a CEPSA truck, mixed up with the more usual alloy or possibly stainless steel bottles.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

captmike said:


> I live in southern Spain and the day before yesterday I noticed for the first time that the lightweight plastic gas bottles are now available here. They are the same size and shape as the CEPSA (silver coloured) bottles and of course use the usual Spanish regulator connection. They are available from CEPSA, or at least I saw them on a CEPSA truck, mixed up with the more usual alloy or possibly stainless steel bottles.


Hi.
Thanks, are these bottles on contract only?.


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## captmike (Sep 30, 2008)

Good question. I'll try to find out on Tuesday. (Holiday for the Immaculate Conception here on Monday.)

You can buy the stainless steel bottles from some petrol stations and I'd bet you could find some of the plastic ones if you looked hard.

Mike


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## captmike (Sep 30, 2008)

I've been able to find out rather more about this subject direct from CEPSA.

First of all the plastic (grey and red) bottles are for propane only.

Theoretically to get hold of your first supply (as many bottles as you need) you must have a contract, just the same as you would if you needed gas for your home. However you also need a gas inspection certificate which can only be provided by an organisation registered (and presumably competent) to do so. I know from personal experience that this can cost upwards of €150. This requirement applies to all non-new caravans, trailers and MHs, Spanish or foreign registered. In Malaga province, this is done by a company called Gas Alhaurin (tel 952 410180).

After that you can go to any Cepsa distributor and obtain your first bottle(s). The Malaga one is on 952 308164.

Now in practice if you want butane, you can often circumvent this by going to a CEPSA petrol station and asking to buy cylinder complete with gas (bombona completa) for which they will charge you anything from €20 - €30 plus the cost of the gas. I believe this is really illegal but useful for us! Once you've got your first cylinder(s) then it's straightforward to exchange them at any CEPSA garage. You can also sometimes find them at flea markets. If and when you leave Spain of course you won't get your cylinder price back unless you can pass it on to a fellow MHer.

The big advantage of using CEPSA cylinders is that they are much lighter and slimmer than the orange REPSOL ones but still contain 12.5kg of butane. They are made of either stainless steel or aluminium.

If you want propane then you have to go down the contract route and collect them from a distributor.


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

> If you want propane then you have to go down the contract route and collect them from a distributor.


We were able to buy our frst propane bottle at a flea market for €10 two years ago. Since then we have had no problems exchanging for a full one.

I'd love one of they new lightweight plastic ones, though! It's such a pain dragging an empty bottle around the rest of Europe, just because it's all but impossible to buy lpg in Spain.

Whilst on a rant, why can't all European purveyors of propane / butane standardize their bottles?! :evil:

Bruce


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## captmike (Sep 30, 2008)

kijana said:


> We were able to buy our frst propane bottle at a flea market for €10 two years ago. Since then we have had no problems exchanging for a full one.


Bruce, what kind of outlet did you get your propane from? All the petrol stations I've visited only have butane. I could do with propane for our C/H at home as the butane fuelled boiler packs up when it's cold outside!

Cheers,

Mike


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

Hi Mike

Yes, propane is harder to get than butane. We mainly get ours from gas depots - little dealers with a small yard on an industrial estate, or in the yard of a builders merchant or bricolage, that sort of thing. We once found a petrol station that we used, but had to try several times to get lucky there.

Also, we have a Cepsa bottle, and there seem to be many more Repsol outlets than Cepsa in the bits of Spain we like.

However, I once tried a bottle of butane instead - never again! The fridge started making an awful smell, with black smears coming out of the vent. I had to take apart the flue assembly and give it a thorough clean to get it working again.

Propane here in the Jerez region is currently 13.60 yoyos a bottle. I'm sure you'll find an outlet if you ask around.

Luego

Bruce


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## Superk (Aug 22, 2005)

Bruce - there's a CEPSA garage that supplied Propane bottles - it's on the main road going North out of Jerez towards Sevilla just before the road becomes a motorway - it allows you to turn off onto a back road and return. Hope you're both (plus one) enjoying life. Are you going or been to Orgiva?

For Mike another tip is to look for a CEPSA or REPSOL truck delivering to houses in villages if you've got a bottle they'll do the exchange or from the name on the cab door you can find out where the local office is. Some of these offices are no more than a door in a line of shops and may supply heaters or cookers but have the bottles down an alleyway.

 
Keith


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