Rome – Fuel bribes continue to impact Italian motorists, with a price increase that's almost a sting on the highway. According to today's analysis by the National Consumers Union, self-service gasoline has surpassed €1,9 per liter on the highway network, an increase that can't be explained by commodity prices.
The price paradox: oil down, pumps up
"It's incredible that, despite yesterday's drop in oil prices, no Italian region or highway has seen a reduction in pump prices," denounced Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumers Union. "This is yet another demonstration of rampant speculation and no one is doing anything to stop it."
The paradox is clear: while international crude oil prices are showing a downward trend, Italian stock markets remain anchored at high values, with a "pincer" effect on citizens' pockets.
Record price increases on the motorway network
The data published today by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (Mimit) weighs heavily, portraying a situation of strong tension precisely where consumers are most "captive": the motorways.
Self-service gasoline: the average price jumps to €1,902 per liter, up 1,6 cents from yesterday (when it was €1,866).
Self-service diesel: the blow is even more severe, with an increase of 2,7 cents, bringing the average to €2,093 per liter, well above the psychological threshold of €2.
UNC: "Regional data is unreliable, but speculation is evident."
The UNC analysis, however, faces a technical difficulty. "Unfortunately, the regional average data from MIMIT continues to present anomalies: yesterday for Abruzzo, today for Campania," Dona explains. "This prevents us from compiling the traditional ranking of the most expensive regions. But beyond the technical errors, the political fact is clear: no one has lowered prices today. The duality between price lists at the pump and the cost of crude oil has never been addressed or resolved."
The recipe: excise duty cuts of up to 20 cents
Faced with this escalation, the National Consumers Union is forcefully relaunching its proposal, previously put forward in recent days, updating it to address the current emergency. The request to the Government is for immediate action on excise duties.
"Our request to reduce excise duties by at least 10 cents currently only applies to gasoline," Dona clarifies. "For diesel, in derogation of the alignment requested by the EU, a much more substantial cut is needed, at least 20 cents per liter. Only in this way can prices be brought back to high but tolerable levels."
The numbers of the "turning point"
The consulting firm also calculates how price lists would change with an intervention of this magnitude.
On the highway: thanks to the 20-cent cut plus 22% VAT, diesel fuel would drop from the current €2,093 to €1,849 per liter. This figure is still significant, but lower than the Mase monthly average for October 2023 (€1,890).
On the ordinary network: the effect would be even more pronounced. Although the anomaly in the MIMIT data prevents a precise calculation, the UNC estimates that the price of diesel would drop below 1,77 euros per liter, lower than the monthly average of the Mase for April 2024 (1,798 euros).
"We're facing speculation that can no longer be tolerated. The government has the tools to intervene and must do so now, before price increases bring families and businesses to their knees," Dona concludes.
It seems to me that the prices are absurd but it is not clear; why the pumps on the highway always go up even if oil prices drop, no one checks and the authorities do not intervene, consumers remain restricted and the proposed solutions seem confusing and slow.