Why it is very complicated to know if you will find gasoline in Total

It is a scene that has already become a classic in the Parisian region: a TotalEnergies station (Total or Total Access) with a priceless totem, a sign that all its fuels are exhausted. Alternatively, a long queue at a station where there would therefore be at least one fuel left.

Record attendance and strike

The consequence of the record attendance at the stations of the French oil group, which offers a discount of 20 cents from September 1. It complements that of the government, which has gone from 18 to 30 cents since the beginning of the school year. A price effect that logically attracts the majority of motorists to its stations, with prices below those of large distributors that usually use fuel as the leader in losses, offering it at “cost price”.

Result: many sold out stations. If officially, they were only one hundred out of 3500, according to TF1 last Friday, in fact, it is much more likely that they are at least partially sold out when you consult the interactive map available on the official TotalEnergies website. The phenomenon would particularly affect Île-de-France, with 17 stations Total of 40 according to France Blue Paris. That’s almost one in two.

The strike for wages, renewed this Tuesday, October 4, does not seem to help at all. Among the affected sites, the Normandy refinery, near Le Havre, which represents 22% of the refining capacity in the territory, and would be stopped according to the CGT.

TotalEnergies, however, rejects any increased risk of shortages at its stations. “Despite the social movement on the Normandy platform (…) there is no shortage of fuel because TotalEnergies has accumulated stocks and is currently carrying out regular imports,” a TotalEnergies spokesman told AFP.’AFP, indicating that it is the only one of the group’s three refineries “on strike” (with a number of strikers that would be low at the other two sites, editor’s note).

How to find a station?

With this discount of 20 cents from September 1 to October 31, Total service stations stand out as the most affordable. But with the wait or fuel shortage, some no longer hesitate to refuel with competitors. How then to be sure of finding fuel at the cheapest price, but above all at the station that has it available?

If you want to benefit from the best price, the easiest way is to consult the official map on the TotalEnergies website. Only problem: no waiting times at the station, which is to be expected at the moment given the price difference. Some stations also do not appear depending on the zoom level on the map.

On the other hand, it seems to be updated quite regularly, without, however, guaranteeing the availability of fuel or its price once it reaches the pump. A station contacted by phone on Tuesday did not have stocks of all fuels, while the TotalEnergies site indicated E85 was still left.

However, the “TotalEnergies Services” application, both on iPhone and Android, does not provide fuel availability. Too bad for a tool suitable for quick reference.

Mobile apps to the rescue

Another solution: check the stations in a browser like Waze, nearby or on a certain route. The large number of users increases the probability of having well-updated information, whether it is to raise prices or report a partial or total breakout.

In the latter case, the app should not send you to a station that lacks the desired fuel. To do this, you must enter your “preferred fuel” (to be selected in the application settings, in the “driving preferences” section, “service stations” tab). In these configurations, it is also possible to select your “preferred brand” which corresponds to the network of fuel distributors. Convenient if you absolutely want to favor Total or, conversely, another brand.

Sites and apps focused on this feature of finding the best gas stations can also be helpful. Essence&Co and its website mon-essence.fr, for example, offer up-to-date prices, but do not necessarily indicate a shortage of stock. An update that is too far back in time can be a good indication that a station is running low on fuel. So give preference to stations whose price has been updated during the day.