There is no national gas supplier in Panama as mains gas is not used in homes. There are a number of appliances such as cookers and heating which can be run on gas but this will use bottled gas. In order to get the bottled gas you will find that there are a number of suppliers in each area and in most cases the gas will be supplied in a 20lb bottles. Finding a supplier is very easy, most are listed in the yellow pages but many people will opt to use the same supplier as their neighbours as personal recommendations are very important in Panama.

When you first purchase the gas you may be required to pay a deposit of up to $50 for the actual bottle but having it refilled can be as little as $5. If you are only using the gas to cook then a bottle can last for several months. Most homes will require gas for cooking as an electric stove is very rare in Panama but as more and more modern apartment buildings are constructed there is less need for bottled gas as they are relying more on electricity.

In some areas the gas truck will pass by regularly and you can just leave the empty bottle out for it to be swapped for a new one. If this service does not run in your area you can simply take it to the nearest supplier for it to be refilled or swapped. Most people will have more than one bottle so that they always have a spare. Monitoring bottled gas is hard as it is difficult to gauge how long it will last.

Some homes heat hot water via gas so you will always have a pilot light on the little boiler and you may find that you use gas much more quickly if this is the case. Most household appliances will run on electricity which helps to keep the cost of gas down.

Using the gas bottles is very easy, there is a connector which simply clips on to the bottle and feeds gas to the appliance. Most people will be able to manage this with little help.