gasoline prices. Will fuel prices be the subject of a new communications battle between oil groups, suppliers and supermarkets? Total has announced price caps since March 1, while Groupe Leclerc has announced promotions this weekend.
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[Mis à jour le 3 mars 2023 à 11h13] Any good fuel plans for the weekend of March 4-5, 2023? Leclerc has announced a “fuel at cost” operation at his petrol stations this weekend. The offer is valid at open and participating stations from Friday, March 3 through Sunday, March 5. Leclerc service stations located in motorway rest areas are excluded. Quotes are for all fuels, except heating oil. In total there are only 15 service stations not participating in the operation, a list of which is available here. “For us, it only takes five or six cents to calculate the cost price”, explains Michel-Edouard Leclerc, President and Managing Director of Leclerc.
The one-time operation comes as TotalEnergies implements the cap promised by its chief executive, Patrick Pouyanné, from March 1 to December 31, 2023. The fuel price for the whole station cannot exceed 1.99 euros. All fuels, petrol and diesel, are affected (Diesel Premier B7, Diesel Premier B10, SP95-E10, SP95-E5, Superethanol E85), according to the French oil group. Only unleaded 98 and Excellium diesel are exempt from this price limit due to their primary quality. Fuel prices have risen again since the beginning of the year as rebates given by the government come to an end. The increase is bad for motorists, especially after the announcement on Feb. 8 of a record profit of 19 billion euros for 2022.
On Monday, February 20, 2023, the average price of a liter of diesel observed and recorded by the Ministry of Ecological Transition was 1.8382, ie an average of 1 cent higher than in the previous week. A liter of unleaded 95 E10 shows an average of 1.8776 Euro. From the beginning of January to the beginning of February 2023, the price of diesel in France increased by an average of more than 12 cents (compared to the first statement of 2023 issued on January 3), and the price of petrol rose by 24 cents per liter without lead 95.
The last peak occurred in mid-November, when government aid was reduced, with diesel averaging 1.9059 and unleaded 95 E10 averaging 1.7514. What is the reason for the price increase? The international context, especially the sanctions imposed on Russia after the outbreak of the Ukraine war. The EU opted to gradually boycott Russian oil, which led to increased demand for oil in other regions, especially the Arabian Peninsula, and ultimately to higher prices. Oil prices regularly break through the $100/barrel mark in March 2022 before stabilizing at around €80/barrel.
In addition to traveling in moderation, carpooling if possible, it is best to compare the charges at gas stations near your home. tedious? Not so many, as many sites offer this service on the Internet. You can also refer to the official government website combustible.gouv.fr, which offers a function to find the prices that petrol station managers have to indicate to the state.
The Essence&Co application also provides this service through collaborative data provided by Internet users. You can find the search engine below. You can compare fuel prices at service stations near you. Available on Android or iPhone, it provides daily fuel prices based on user feedback to indicate current prices.
The government website “prix.carburant.gouv.fr” also provides price lists by sector and fuel type (note the distinction between unleaded 95, 98 or E10). The price list is updated weekly. Helps you find the cheapest service station with an interactive map listing service stations near you.
As you’ve noticed, there are sometimes large price differences depending on the service station: between dealer brands (especially supermarkets) and oil group stations, the differences can sometimes appear to be large. It is explained by various parameters, including brand image, but also famous additives. You probably know them by their trade names. For example, Excellium fuel in the Total network contains many additives. Incorporating them into fuel can be used to improve its quality and thus its performance. Also to protect the engine or fuel tank, they also come in at a higher price, which occasionally raises debate about their usefulness. Whether marketing arguments are used to justify these prices or provide real benefits to the car is hotly debated.
How much does the tax contribute to the price of gasoline at the gas station? According to Total, the tax is “the most important part of the fuel price”. According to the company, in 2018, the tax imposed by the state was equivalent to “63% of the price of unleaded 95-E10 and 60% of the price of diesel”. Gasoline taxes are actually split into two different taxes: Value Added Tax and the Domestic Excise Tax on Energy Products (TICPE). There is also a general tax on polluting activities (TGAP). The TICPE of gasoline is also higher than that of diesel. Based on gasoline prices, TICPE represents nearly 70 cents for gasoline and 60 cents for a liter of diesel.