Barcelona diners enjoy the last days of outdoor winter warmth as gas heaters are banned

Residents and tourists in Barcelona’s historic centre were enjoying the last days of gas-powered patio heaters before their use is banned in 2025 because of their carbon emissions.

Beginning January 1, gas-powered outdoor heaters will no longer be allowed at Barcelona restaurants and bars.

The ban will come into force on Jan. 1 and is the culmination of a years-long battle between the city council and restaurateurs who fear a loss of business from customers shunning outdoor seating areas during the winter.

The measure was first introduced in 2018, but the city council allowed for a gradual phasing out, to give time for the hospitality sector to adapt.

Electric heaters with a capacity no greater than 150W/m2 will still be permitted between Nov. 1 and April 30, the city council said in a statement on Dec. 17.

Heated outdoor seating areas are already banned in France, where energy conservation groups calculate that their use in a 75 m2 terrace during the winter months emitted as much CO2 as a car circling the globe three times.

An attempt by Madrid to ban heaters in outdoor areas was thwarted last year after a local court ruled that the city council had failed to provide evidence that they contributed to global warming.