PRICE OF PETROL. Gas station prices are announced to be lower after a spectacular spike following the start of the war in Ukraine. Is it really visible at the pump? What are the rates applied? We take stock.
[Mis à jour le 22 mars 2022 à 09h31] Announced for several days by many experts, the fall in fuel prices is finally topical. According to data published by the government every Monday, the last week has seen a drop in average fuel prices in France. Thus, the price of diesel has again fallen below the 2 euro per liter mark, with an observed drop of 8% in one week, i.e. from 2.14 euros per liter to 1.97 euro on average. For unleaded 95, the drop is less visible with prices going from 2.08 euros to 1.97 euros on average, or -5% in seven days. Obviously, this drop, which could be short-lived, does not make up for all of the surge observed at the beginning of March in the wake of the start of the war in Ukraine. the fuel had thus taken 10% between February 25 and March 14, fueling an increase already observed since September: +30% in less than seven months.
According to the Carbu.com site, which also provides regular readings, the unleaded 95 E10 is displayed on average this Tuesday at 1.941 euro / liter, a drop of 3 cents in one week but still an increase of 16 cents compared to at the rates applied just a month ago, on the eve of the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. For diesel, the situation is similar with an average price announced at 2.009 euros/litre, i.e. three cents less per liter in one week but 29 cents more than last month.
Experts have also been scrutinizing the price curves for several days, seeing in the price of a barrel of oil, the famous brent, a reason for optimism. After peaking at 139 dollars, the price has fallen in recent days, approaching the 100 dollar mark on March 14 before stabilizing between 105 and 110 dollars for a week. As a result, if the pass-through time between oil price trends and the price at the pump is estimated at 10 days, prices should therefore fall significantly in the coming days. Faced with this crisis situation, the government has promised new aid, in the form of a discount of 15 cents on a liter of petrol. What reduce the bill of 7.50 euros for a full tank of 50 liters, an average tank for a vehicle in France. “For every 60 liters you will save 9 euros“, also summed up Prime Minister Jean Castex. This measure is due to come into effect on April 1. Here is what to remember from this announcement as well as the list of gas stations the cheapest in France to help you find the most affordable pump near you.
In addition to moderating your travels, practicing carpooling if you can, the best thing is still to compare the prices charged in the service stations around your home. Tedious? Not that much since many sites offer this service on the internet. You can also base yourself on the official government website, combustible.gouv.fr, which offers to find the prices that must be indicated to the State by the managers of service stations. Linternaute.com has prepared a file showing you the prices department by department.
Our partner Essence&Co also offers this service via collaborative data provided by Internet users. You can find the search engine below. It is possible to compare fuel prices at gas stations near you. Available on Android or iPhone, it offers daily fuel prices based on user feedback to indicate current prices.
The government websiteprice.fuel.gouv.fr” also offers you price statements by department and type of fuel (Be careful to clearly differentiate unleaded 95, 98 or E10). The price statements are updated on a weekly basis. What will help you find the cheapest gas stations through an interactive map listing the gas stations near you.
As you have noticed, there are sometimes sometimes substantial price differences depending on the service station: between distributor brands (supermarkets in particular) and oil group stations, the difference can sometimes seem significant. It is explained by various parameters including the brand image but also the famous additives. You may know them by their trade name. Excellium fuel, for example in the Total network, contains many additives. Incorporated into the fuel, they are used to improve its quality and therefore its performance. Also intended to protect the engine or the tank, they also act on higher prices, which sometimes gives rise to controversy over their usefulness. Marketing argument used to justify these prices or real benefit for the car, the debate is lively.
What is the share of taxes in the price of gasoline at the pump? According to Total, taxes represent “the most important part of the price of fuel”. In 2018, according to the company, the taxes collected by the State represented for example “63% of the price of Unleaded 95-E10 and 60% of that of diesel”. Gasoline tax is in fact divided into two different taxes: VAT, and the domestic consumption tax on energy products (TICPE). There is also the general tax on polluting activities (TGAP). The TICPE is also higher on gasoline than on diesel. Depending on gasoline prices, the TICPE represents nearly 70 cents on gasoline, 60 cents on the price of a liter of diesel.
The carbon tax is a tax on CO2 emissions. It was implemented in 2014. It was to increase on January 1, 2019 and add 3 cents more to the price of a liter of diesel and 6 cents to the price of a liter of lead-free. Nothing happened: the government decided to cancel its increase when it could have brought 3.9 billion euros in additional revenue to the State. This decision follows the discontent of the yellow vests at the end of 2018. Note that the carbon tax, a component of the TICPE, finances only “very little” the ecological transition.
According to a Senate report on revenue for 2016, “out of the 4 billion euros of additional revenue expected from the carbon component in 2016, 3 billion euros are returned to companies under the tax credit for Competitiveness and Employment (CICE), and 1 billion euros for households, through reduced VAT rates applicable to energy renovation work on housing and in favor of social housing and intermediate housing”. For the Senate, the increase in the carbon tax therefore results from a “logic of budgetary return” and is not particularly used to finance the ecological transition.