Gas or all-electric: which supplies does your home need

Key rules

• Fixed charges: Piped gas has a fixed monthly charge; an all-electric home has no gas charge at all.
• Reconnecting: Coming back to gas after cancelling needs a new connection with its own charges.
• New-build: No national ban on gas in new buildings exists, but some towns limit it.
• No pipe: Bottled butane is the option where there is no gas network.

Gas tariff figures, disconnection charges and local limits on new connections change, so confirm them with your supplier, distribution company and town hall.

The short answer

In a mild climate, all-electric usually does the job and avoids gas bills altogether. Keep gas if you live somewhere cold and the home already has gas radiators you want to keep. If there is no gas pipe in your street, bottled butane is the fallback.

Compare the fixed charges

Piped gas comes with a fixed monthly charge, whatever you use, plus a price per kWh. An all-electric home has no gas fixed charge, though you still pay for electricity.

Most households are on the regulated gas tariff, the TUR. It has three tiers by yearly use: TUR 1 (up to 5,000 kWh), TUR 2 (5,000 to 15,000 kWh) and TUR 3 (15,000 to 50,000 kWh). Each tier has a fixed monthly term and a price per kWh. The prices are reviewed every quarter, on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. Ask your supplier which tier you are in and what the current figures are.

To compare, multiply the fixed monthly charge by 12. Then add what you would spend on gas per kWh. Set that against the cost of doing the same jobs with electricity.

Look at your appliances

Three uses decide most cases:

• Cooking: an induction hob replaces a gas hob.
• Hot water: an electric water heater replaces a gas boiler.
• Heating: an aerothermal heat pump is the usual electric alternative. If the home already has gas radiators and winters are cold, keeping gas may make more sense.

Gas also has connection and maintenance costs. An all-electric home avoids them and pairs well with solar panels.

Check whether gas is even available

Piped gas is not in every street or building. If it is not, bottled butane suits homes with no network. Ask the owner or the community of owners what is connected.

If you are buying new-build

There is no national ban on gas in new buildings. But the building rules require a minimum of renewable energy for hot water, which pushes new homes towards heat pumps and solar. Some towns also limit gas in new developments, so ask the town hall about your development.

If you decide to drop gas

Ask your supplier to end the contract with a request for a baja, usually with a few days' notice. The distribution company then closes the supply and may remove the meter. The supplier usually charges no fee, but the distribution company may charge for the disconnection or the meter, and you pay a final bill. Going back to gas later means a new connection with its own charges, so decide before you cancel.

The decision, checklist and questions below walk you through the choice.

Choosing between options

Should you keep or skip a gas connection?

• Go all-electric: Your climate is mild, you can use an induction hob, an electric water heater or an aerothermal heat pump, and you want to avoid gas connection, maintenance and fixed charges. It also works well with solar panels.

• Keep piped gas: You live in a cold climate and already have gas radiators, and piped gas is available in your street or building.

• Use bottled butane: There is no piped gas network where you live and you still want gas for cooking or hot water.

Compare the running cost per kWh of gas and electricity for the appliances you use, then add gas fixed charges and maintenance. If piped gas is not in your street or building, choose between all-electric and butane.

Checklist

• Add up the fixed charges you pay each year for gas and compare them with an all-electric home, which has none.

• Ask the town hall whether any local rule limits new gas connections in your development.

• Ask your supplier to terminate the contract (a baja) if you decide to drop gas, giving a few days' notice.

• Ask the distribution company whether it charges for disconnecting the supply or removing the meter.

• Remember that reconnecting later needs a new connection with its own charges before you cancel.

Frequently asked questions

How often do regulated gas prices change?

Regulated gas prices (the TUR, tarifa de último recurso) are reviewed every quarter, on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. The TUR is for homes using up to 50,000 kWh a year and has three tiers by yearly use, each with a fixed monthly charge plus a price per kWh.

Can I ban gas in a new-build home I am buying?

No, there is no national ban on gas connections in new buildings, but new homes are pushed towards heat pumps and solar hot water. Some towns limit gas in new developments, so ask the town hall before you assume a gas connection is possible.

What does it cost to cancel a piped gas supply?

Your supplier usually charges nothing to cancel, but the distribution company may charge for disconnecting or removing the meter.

Can I stay with bottled butane if there is no gas pipe in my street?

Yes, bottled butane suits homes with no piped network, so you can cook and heat water without a connection. Compare it with an induction hob and an electric water heater before you decide.