PRICE OF PETROL. Fuel prices remain high and several initiatives were announced at the end of July before the traditional crossover of the summer holidays. We take stock of the prices displayed and the promotions to find.
[Mis à jour le 25 juillet 2022 à 08h54] Are you looking for small promotions to save a few euros on your tank of gas? You are not alone in these times of rising prices for fuel. If the establishment of the “rebate” of 18 centimes by the government at the beginning of spring had an effect on prices at the pump, fuel prices rose again as summer approached. Since the beginning of June, it has even been downright overheating with recorded average prices which have cheerfully crossed the bar of 2 euros per liter.
This Monday, July 25, according to the latest statement from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the average prices for a liter of unleaded 95 in France were 1.9504 euros per liter compared to 1.9696 euros per liter of diesel, or about three cents less than the week former. For comparison, here are some figures that reflect the evolution of prices in recent weeks:
- Monday March 28: 1.89 euro per liter of diesel and 1.78 euro per liter of unleaded 95
- Monday, April 25: 1.88 euro per liter of diesel and 1.76 euro per liter of unleaded 95
- Monday, May 16: 1.85 euro per liter of diesel and 1.93 euro per liter of unleaded 95
- Monday, May 30: 1.96 euro per liter of diesel and 2.06 per liter of unleaded 95
- Monday, June 15: 1.96 euro per liter of diesel and 2.066 per liter of unleaded 95
- Monday, July 4: 2.13 euros per liter of diesel and 2.03 per liter of unleaded 95
The reason ? The international context, especially with the sanctions taken against Russia following the start of the war in Ukraine. The European Union has opted for a gradual boycott of Russian oil, which leads to an increase in demand for oil from other regions, in particular the Arabian Peninsula, and ultimately in prices. Oil prices have steadily crossed the $100 per barrel mark since the beginning of March.
Before the start of the 2022 school year, several announcements were made:
- if the government envisaged a “fuel allowance” in the form of bonuses for large wheelers, subject to income conditions, the project seems buried and should be replaced by an extension of the fuel discount system, the famous 18 centimes rebate set up in April 2022.
- Total has announced to extend and increase the reduction offered to motorists refueling at its service stations with a drop of 20 euro cents per liter between September 1 and October 31 is planned, followed by a drop of 10 euro cents per liter. euro per liter from 1 November to 31 December.
- Leclerc has announced several fuel operations at cost price from July 28 to 30, only in the Leclerc shopping center stations (excluding motorways). The gain should be a few cents per liter.
In addition to moderating your travels, practicing carpooling if you can, the best thing is still to compare the prices charged in the gas 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.
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 service 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, only finances “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.