Fuel prices fell again last week in France. On average, diesel was sold at 1.72 euros per liter, 4.2 cents less, and 95-E10 unleaded gasoline at 1.8782 euros per liter, 3.5 cents less.
We have to go back to the end of September 2022 to find such a low price for diesel, with a government discount of 30 cents at that time. Without this discount, we find the pre-war tariff for February 2022 in Ukraine.
A difference of 16 cents, unprecedented since 2016
What especially widens an important difference with gasoline, 16 cents. We have to go back to October 2016 to find such a difference. And at that time, diesel was selling at 1.14 euros per liter, gasoline at 1.3 euros per liter.
“We return to the situation before the war in Ukraine with diesel fuel that is more affordable than gasoline,” sums up Francis Pousse, president of the service station branch of the Mobilians union.
For him, gasoline remains at quite high price levels today due to supply difficulties linked to the movement against pension reform. Clearly, with refineries and depots blocked, more expensive unleaded gasoline needs to be sought elsewhere abroad.
While we had expected a backlash to the embargo on Russian diesel that began last February, the price of France’s most widely consumed fuel has been falling steadily since the beginning of the year.
“The current gap is still logical with a TICPE at 60 cents a liter for diesel, against 66 cents for gasoline,” recalls Francis Pousse.
More generally, the backdrop is being pump-friendly with relatively low oil prices – a barrel of Brent North Sea oil lost another $3.6 last week – and the euro, which has risen against the dollar in the last months.
Source: BFM TV
