This has always been the case, but the war turned things around and from last year diesel was the most expensive fuel
In the past few days, diesel has been cheaper than petrol: in normal times, this is a situation that does not make the news because its price has always been lower than that of petrol. However, by August the ratio had reversed and diesel became the most expensive fuel for a variety of reasons related to the war, high oil prices and sanctions.
Diesel is the most widely used fuel in industry and transportation, and is also sometimes used as a heating fuel. For these reasons it has always received favorable tax treatment, and the excise duty, i.e. the fixed amount taxes that are charged on each liter of fuel sold and which thus contributes to fixing the price to the consumer, is lower than that levied on petrol – more used instead for private transport.
With the beginning of the war, the decline in diesel imports from Russia, which supplied the European Union with about 30 percent of its needs, led to a sharp rise in prices, until it exceeded the prices of gasoline, which led to the abolition of the benefits tax completely. The price of diesel has been higher than that of gasoline throughout the spring, and then traditionally falls again during the summer.
However, in September it started to rise again, both in view of the winter period (diesel oil is also used as a heating source) and because operators began to buy it in huge quantities for storage, given that at the EU level there is an embargo, that is, an import ban, on Russian oil . Then it was effectively introduced: for raw products from December 5 of last year, for refined products (including diesel) from February 5.
According to the statements of the President of UNEM (Unione Energie per la Mobilità), Claudio Spinacci, reported by various newspapers, market movements were not unusual for diesel, which even before the war was subject to fluctuations that sometimes made it higher than the price of petrol. . However, the increases were offset by lower tax charges, so they went almost unnoticed by the consumer. On the other hand, the war caused prices to soar that the diesel tax advantage was unable to offset the increases.
Now the situation has changed somewhat and the energy markets have become more stable. In fact, there is no longer any fear of a shortage of diesel, which led to a decrease in its prices. spinach Explain That “these tensions eased after that with the gradual rebalancing of international markets and since November a clear downward trend has emerged that today brought both products back.” [benzina e gasolio] Close to pre-war levels, with the spread back to historical levels. […] So, we should not forget that with regard to gas, diesel stocks are high, and all temperatures are moderate, and we are approaching a period when the demand for diesel oil tends to decline, unlike oil.”
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