Fuels

Diesel, price rises again: the possibility of an extension of the excise cut discount

Diesel is most expensive in the provinces of Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia. For petrol, in addition to Bolzano, also in Sicily

by Lorenzo Pace

31 March 2026

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3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The price of gasoil is still rising. At the pump, the most widely used fuel for transporting goods has come to cost 2.067 euro per litre in Italia, with peaks in the provinces of Trentino Alto Adige - in Bolzano 2.102 euro per litre and Trento 2.087 euro per litre - and Friuli Venezia Giulia (2.086 euro per litre).

And the timetable does not help: in a week's time, if an extension to the excise cut decree does not arrive, it would reach crises exceeding the 2022 crisis with the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the government would be ready to meet in the Council of Ministers on Friday for a new intervention on fuels in view of the deadline.

Rise in crude oil prices

Like every Tuesday, meanwhile, the daily figures from the Ministry of Enterprise are accompanied by weekly figures from the Ministry of the Environment. Which give the possibility to see how much motorists pay in taxes and the 'net' price.

Excise duties and VAT for diesel remained stable, at 0.838 euro per litre, after the cut of 24.4 cents per litre on 18 March (compared to 16 March, taxes on diesel actually decreased by 20 cents per litre).

It is the industrial price - which includes oil, processing and transport - that is worrying. Because it is still on the rise: one cent per litre more than last week, reaching +20 cents per litre compared to 16 March.

And Brent rises again

Consequently, we must move on to other data: that of oil, the Brent. That is, the raw material that since the escalation in Iran has not transited the Strait of Hormuz in the same quantity.

On 27 February, before the Israeli and US attack on Iran, the cost of a barrel was $77. Since 11 March, the price has never fallen below $95 per barrel. It even went above $110 per barrel on 19 March and, after a slight respite at the beginning of last week (below $100), the situation is becoming more complicated again: this week it opened at $108.25 per barrel.

Next week would be an all-time record

In short, if this continues, the price of diesel looks set to rise further. Without forgetting the date circled by the government: 8 April. On that day the price lists will start again without a discount. Diesel would reach around EUR 2.3 per litre, far exceeding the all-time high. Thus beating the previous record of 14 March 2022, when the price of diesel reached 2.154 euro per litre (about 9 cents more than today).

The technicians of the ministries - Mef and Mimit in primis - are working to find a solution, which, however, is not easy, considering that the intervention launched in the Council of Ministers on 18 March cost 400 million euro. To which about one hundred million were added for the tax credit to be allocated to road hauliers.

Truck protest

Meanwhile, truck drivers are taking to the streets. Trasportounito has proclaimed a national truck stoppage from 20 to 25 April, while Unatras has called for permanent assemblies in the squares of a hundred Italian cities. For the category associations it is an 'unsustainable situation' and an 'absolute emergency'. Also considering that fuels on the motorways are still rising: 1.818 euro per litre for petrol and 2.131 euro per litre for diesel.

Better for petrol

Speaking of petrol, the picture is definitely better than diesel. Green costs an average of 1.751 euro per litre in Italia, with peaks in Bolzano (1.777 euro per litre) and Sicily (1.770 euro per litre). It is true, however, that without a discount, daily Staffetta recalls, the average cost would be close to two euros per litre for motorists.