Gasoline and diesel prices continue to rise. Result: the number of pumps displaying a price of gasoline above 2 euros is increasing in France. In the salvo of figures published on Monday by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, new records have been reached, while crude oil prices have soared with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, one of the main oil producers in the world. A liter of diesel was worth 1.74 euros on average over the week, 3.64 cents more than the previous week. Super unleaded 95 for its part reached 1.8133 per liter on average (2.09 cents more) and unleaded 95-E10 increased by 3.79 cents, climbing to 1.79 euros.
Fuel prices are on the rise and have regularly reached new highs for weeks, in the wake of oil prices. Their surge has been fueled by the global economic recovery and still tight supply from major oil-producing countries. This trend was exacerbated after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week: the barrel of Brent crude from the North Sea passed the 100 dollar mark on Thursday for the first time since 2014. A price that is expected to rise as the effect of economic sanctions against the Putin regime kicks in and could contract supply.
But that impact is unlikely yet to be fully reflected in pump prices released on Monday, which cover a weekly period only to Friday, as the invasion of Ukraine began Thursday morning. The support measures already announced for households (increase in the mileage allowance, inflation allowance, etc.) may not be enough to absorb the current increases. Some distributors have also attempted a bang, such as two Leclerc service stations near Perpignan, which offered a liter of gasoline at one euro. The difference between the price displayed at the pump and that of the promotion being reimbursed in vouchers in the store. On the other hand, the action has a foreseeable impact: faced with the influx, traffic jams have occurred and the local public transport network has had to stop serving certain stops. A mess and increases that should continue in the coming weeks.