The withdrawal of the 20 cents bonus in fuel as of January 1 will lead to a decrease in consumption according to all estimates, but as that date approaches, there is a fact that the fuel stations have made their privatizations. August. That is, before the discount is lifted, the drivers rush to the gas stations to fill the tanks of their vehicles, so much that the industry calculates this. The volume of refueling carried out in the last three days of the year in the province will reach 1.2 million liters.. It costs 71.55 euros to fill an average 45-liter petrol tank on Sunday, while it costs 57.24 euros or 14.31 euros more in recent days.
The central government announced last Tuesday its decision to continue fuel subsidies that only benefit professional sectors such as transport, agriculture or fisheries. In other words, the general discount of 20 cents per liter since April 1 expires this Saturday at midnight and will not be renewed for most drivers. From the gas station sector, it was already predicted that this decision would have a direct impact on consumption at the time of the release of the news, and for some reasons it is expected to decrease in principle by around 10%. drivers will choose to reduce trips or replace the private vehicle with public transport.
But that will be from January 1, because meanwhile the government announcement has caused gas stations to register a veritable avalanche of vehicles up to the registration point. more than important queues at certain times of the day. Emilio Córcoles, Provincial President of the Mediterranean Gas Station Entrepreneurs Federation (Fedmes), points out that the increase in demand started to be recorded last Thursday and is increasing gradually. In his words, “drivers want to fill tanks before the discount disappearsThis is also noticeable in the volume of business, which has become much more intense,” he said. With this dynamic, everything points to the fact that the sales of Alicante gas stations will double in the last three days of the year, reaching 1.2 million liters between gasoline and diesel.
To exercise
Especially at the so-called low-cost gas stations, where the price is lower, the increase in mobility is becoming widespread. This is noted by Ballenoil and Petroprix, who are barely coping on national territory. Sources from the second company underlined this Friday that some gas stations are running out of fuel, especially in the Balearic and Canary Islands, but not in the Alicante region. Emilio Córcoles explains that there is no supply problem in the province in this sense, because he points out: “We are used to meeting demand peaks like thisespecially in tourist entry-exit processes during the summer or Easter seasons”.
However, the Fedmes state president, some major challenges in the supply of diesel used to heat homes, but without running out of stocks. “People don’t run out of fuel. It’s just that in some cases, they haven’t been able to fill the tanks as they intended in these final days of bonuses.”
Meanwhile, fuel prices remain at their lowest levels since last February. Gasoline 95 specifically trades at an average of 1,590 euros per liter, while diesel trades at 1,662 euros, not deducting the 20 cents previously discounted from Sunday. However, they will stay a long way from 2,152 and 2,106 euros, respectively, in June when they hit their highest level.