The liter of diesel reached, at the beginning of January, nearly 1.59 euros, up five cents compared to the end of December.
Motorists will take on a further rise in the gas bill. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, fuel prices rose again in early 2022, reaching new heights. An evolution explained by the increase in raw material, the price of a barrel remaining twice as high as at the same time, a year earlier.
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In detail, the liter of diesel reached, over the week of January 7, nearly 1.59 euros – 1.5883 euros, to be precise -, up five cents compared to the last statement, at the end of December 2021. Similarly , the liter of SP95 (+6 cents), SP98 (+5 cents) and Superethanol E85 (+4 cents) all increased.
These prices have never been so high: by way of comparison, a liter of diesel had reached 1.53 euros in mid-October 2018, at the time of the outbreak of the “yellow vests”, That of SP95 1.57 euros and 1.64 euros for the liter of SP98. The increase is considerable, even compared to the pre-health crisis period: in the early hours of 2020, diesel reached 1.48 euros, and SP98 1.6 euros. Since the start of the health crisis, prices have made the big difference, collapsing at the time of the first wave, before gradually rising again with the recovery.
Unsurprisingly, this increase is felt directly in many service stations: in Paris, for example, a liter of SP98 often approaches the symbolic bar of two euros. In response, several distributors announced operations “fuel at cost», During the end of the year celebrations, in order to adapt to this context and to attract the favors of motorists, at the same time.
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The increase is driven by strong international demand for the raw material. Fixed at 54.77 dollars, in January 2021, the price of a barrel of Brent jumped during the year, reaching 81.05 dollars on average in November, latest data shared by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. The $ 80 mark was not crossed until October 2018, recently.
For its part, the government is counting on temporary inflation, generated by the strong demand caused by the global recovery. Gradually distributed since December to tens of millions of households, the inflation allowance of one hundred euros must, according to Bercy, make it possible to cover the rise in prices. No fuel tax relief is planned at this stage.