Gas bottle swap vs refill: which is better for you?

Swapping

You drop your empty bottle at a service station, hardware store or supermarket cage and take a full one. It is fast and available almost everywhere, and you get a bottle that has been checked and is in test date.

The trade-off: you pay for a full bottle whether yours was empty or not, so swapping too early wastes the gas left in it.

Refilling

Take your own bottle to an authorised refill station. Some charge for the quantity added; others charge a fixed price by bottle size. Check the price and charging method first, and never refill a bottle yourself.

Bottles must be within their test date to be refilled (the date is stamped on the collar), and refill stations are less common than swap cages in some areas.

Which should you choose?

If convenience matters most, a swap may suit you. To keep your own bottle, compare an authorised refill station’s price and charging method with the swap price. Compare price per kilogram where possible, checking actual fill quantities.

Big home bottles

Large 45 kg home bottles are usually exchanged by a gas supplier on delivery rather than swapped at a store. Ordering before the last bottle runs dry avoids cold showers.

Know when it is really empty

Whichever you choose, knowing your level means you will not swap a half-full bottle. A WiseTank sensor on a steel bottle shows the remaining percentage on your phone and can alert you when it is low.