FUEL PREMIUM OF 18 CENTS. April 1 will mark the entry into force of the discount of 15 cents on the liter of fuel promised by the government. Surprise, it will finally be 18 cents! Operation, savings made… We tell you everything!
[Mis à jour le 29 mars 2022 à 09h34] Will you have to carefully select your fuel pump this Friday, April 1 to benefit from the 18-cent discount on a liter of fuel ? While the entry into force of this aid is scheduled for this Friday, the French Fuels Federation warns of a possible delay in certain points of sale. Small stations, which may well not have renewed their stock this week, could continue to apply the old tariff and not pass on this discount.
The reason stems from the mechanism of the device which is in fact a government subsidy on crude oil. Then charge refiners to pass it on to the gasoline sold to distributors. A small delay could therefore be noticed in certain service stations which, conversely, will benefit from low prices for a few more days after the end of the system, scheduled for July 31. There are therefore only a few days left before the entry into force of the fuel discount announced by the government at the beginning of March following the spike in petrol prices a few days after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
This aid in the form of a “fuel discount” was detailed on March 16 by Prime Minister Jean Castex during a press conference. And we finally know more since the implementing decree was finally published on Saturday March 26, 2022! Surprise, the amount will not ultimately be 15 cents per liter of gasoline but 18 cents per liter of gasoline. “The initial announcement was made excluding tax, said the Ministry of Finance interviewed by Le Parisien. You must then add the VAT which is different depending on whether you are in mainland France, Corsica or in the DOM-TOM for example .” In mainland France, the discount will therefore be 18 cents per liter of fuel, i.e. an expected saving of around 11 euros for a full 60 litres.
Will all fuels be affected? Yes, Jean Castex said in mid-March, with one exception: bio-ethanol E85 little impacted by the energy crisis and the outbreak of war in Ukraine. On the other hand, liquefied natural gas and LPG will be affected. This boost, valid each time you go to the gas station, will come into effect this Friday, April 1. Here is what we already know in a few points as well as all the details below:
- This discount measure of 15 cents/litre of fuel (18 cents in mainland France) will be valid on all “raw” fuels, with the exception of E85 bio-ethanol at the already low price. This discount will apply “on all fuels including crude”, indeed detailed the Prime Minister. If you drive on diesel with your diesel vehicle, you will therefore be just as concerned as if you drive on unleaded petrol.
- The measure will take effect this Friday, April 1, 2022 and will be valid until July 31.
- The discount will be immediate for the motorist. The price after discount will finally be displayed directly at the pump and via the totem panels at the entrance, contrary to what was originally announced.
Jean Castex explained that this should cost the state 2 billion euros. However, the Prime Minister called on distributors and oil companies to make “an additional gesture” in order to reduce the bill. Here is what we already know about this kind of “fuel bonus” which will be applied at the gas pump on Friday.
The discount will be made automatically at the time of payment, at the cash desk or by credit card at the pump. Contrary to what has been announced, the price displayed at the pump will ultimately be the one you will ultimately pay. There will therefore be no calculation to be made or discount to be requested from the pump. “It is true that Matignon initially wanted this to appear on the receipt, explains the Prime Minister’s entourage to Le Parisien. But that was not possible.” However, this will make the operation more readable and simple for the consumer.
Who can benefit from the discount of 18 centimes per liter of fuel?
Everyone, whether you have a store loyalty card or not. This measure, which will cost the State around 2 billion euros, concerns households as well as businesses and will be “valid on all fuels”, specified the Prime Minister in a interview with Le Parisien newspaper. Thus, you will be able to benefit from the reduction of 18 cents per liter of gasoline whatever your status: are concerned “farmers, craftsmen, construction, taxis, truck drivers, everyone… Fishermen too”, explained John Castex. Arbitrations were then still in progress and Jean Castex finally unveiled specific aid for fishermen: 35 cents per liter of diesel from March 17 and until the end of July.
What savings on a full tank does this discount of 18 cents per liter of fuel represent?
According to Jean Castex, the economy at the pump will not be invisible. The Prime Minister had given an example during the presentation of the device: that of a full tank of 60 liters of fuel, i.e. a tank of a good-sized car (a city car displays a tank of 45 to 50 liters) “You save 9 euros” for a full 60 liters, he said in the columns of Parisian. Since then, the device has evolved to finally reach 18 euro cents per liter of fuel, a saving of up to 11 euros per tank. With a price of around 2 euros per liter, a full tank would thus go from 120 euros to around 109 euros.
When does the 18 cents discount on petrol start?
The fuel discount will be put in place from this Friday, April 1, 2022 and for four months, announced Jean Castex, i.e. until July 31, 2022. Jean-Yves Mano, president of the CLCV consumer defense association, said told AFP to see it as a “concrete response” but regrets that we have to wait until April 1 for its implementation. This waiting time is partly explained by the Prime Minister who mentioned the last “technical arbitrations”.