The fuel market continues to give shocks. This week, the price of gasoline in Spain rises again to another historical maximum, while diesel loosens up and is cheaper than the first. This is reflected in the latest edition of the Petroleum Bulletin of the European Unionpublished this Thursday. The average amount per liter of 95-octane gasoline, taxes included, is close to the psychological barrier of 1.9 euros (a mark that diesel surpassed last week) by standing at 1,898 euros, 1% more than seven days behind. It must be taken into account that these prices, according to the methodology applied by the Government, do not include the 20-cent discount that has been mandatory since last April 1.
However, and including this discount, the real average price paid by drivers when refueling is 1,698 euros per liter. This translates into 12 cents less than in the week of March 28, the last one before the measure that the Executive approved in the royal decree to mitigate the effects of the war in Ukraine came into force. In other words, the evolution of the market itself, due to the rise in fuel prices at source, has already eaten 8 cents of the aid (which is paid for by the State, which assumes a discount of 15 cents, and the oil companies, which discount the remaining five cents).
In the case of diesel, this week the prices suffered an inflection when they became cheaper for the first time in six weeks. Despite the relief, the 1.887 euros per liter shown by the average amount (1.3% less than in the previous week) represent the second most expensive amount in history. Compared to the end of March, yes, the increase is four cents, which means that by applying the mandatory discount, consumers are now paying 16 cents less than then. And, for the second consecutive week, the anomaly remains that the average price in Spain exceeds the average of the European Union (1,878 euros per liter).
What, on the other hand, can be considered a return to historical normality is that gasoline is once again more expensive than diesel. Except in very specific episodes, normally related to the cost of fuel, it is normal for refueling a diesel to be cheaper (due to the lower tax on this type of fuel). However, in the last seven weeks this unwritten rule had ceased to be followed. This week, according to the European bulletin, gasoline again exceeds diesel, although it only does so by one cent per liter.
Transferring the current prices to what it means to refuel a medium tank (55 liters), means that filling the tank of a gasoline vehicle would cost 104.4 euros. Doing it with a diesel would cost 103.8 euros. But by applying the mandatory discount, both would be cheaper by 11 euros. This means that filling a tank with gasoline is 5.6 euros cheaper than before the aid, while doing so with diesel means spending 7.3 euros less. Despite everything, these are historically very high amounts. Compared to the end of last year (when the origin of the current price escalation can be traced to the geopolitical tensions in Ukraine), diesel drivers pay almost 20 euros more to fill an average tank, and for gasoline the surcharge is about 13 euros.
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