Petrol prices are approaching 2 euros a litre: an app to help you find the cheapest petrol stations is on its way
The most expensive petrol is found in Bolzano and Sicily. The same applies to diesel, which exceeds 2.1 euros per litre in Basilicata, Calabria and Friuli-Venezia Giulia as well
Key points
Fuel prices at petrol stations are rising again, not far off the highs recorded in recent months. The reason, of course, is linked to oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which – following a brief hint of reopening (ship passage was never actually fully restored) during the truce between the US and Iran – has once again become a hotspot for attacks and is therefore impassable. The consequences are evident in oil prices – Brent crude has risen back above $90 a barrel, as it was in early June – and on petrol station price boards.
Price rises and the app launched by Mimit
The rise in prices has only been recorded over the last two weeks. The preceding period had been characterised by a gradual, albeit slow, decline lasting almost twenty days. This fall had led the Government to halt the long series of excise duty cuts (which had cost around two billion euros) but also to ask oil companies to speed up the fall in prices, with a meeting convened at the Ministry of Enterprise at the end of June.
Now that prices have started to rise again, with petrol averaging 1.935 euros per litre nationwide and diesel at 2.091 euros, the Mimit has decided to launch – from Monday afternoon – the ‘Osservaprezzi Carburanti’ app. As the ministry itself explains, this tool will enable “consumers to find their nearest petrol station or compare prices to choose the cheapest option”.
Petrol costs nearly 2 euros a litre in Sicily and Bolzano
In the meantime, however, regional differences are already apparent. And they reflect trends also observed during the recent months of tension. For instance, the Province of Bolzano is the most expensive (€1.976 per litre) for petrol, followed mainly by regions in the south. In this case, Sicily comes first (€1.961), followed by Calabria (€1.954), Molise (€1.953) and Basilicata (€1.95). Joining them is the northern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (€1.958).
Diesel already above 2.1 euros per litre
Then there’s diesel, which, as previously highlighted, has returned to around 2.1 euros per litre. This price disparity compared with petrol is justified by the inelasticity of demand for the fuel most commonly used in freight transport or in sectors such as fishing and agriculture (it is no coincidence that tax credits have been made available to these sectors).
