Big oil players are kicking off a new price war designed to attract and retain customers, set to unfold during the Easter holiday period when road travel spikes. The landscape features a clash among major fuel networks as they roll out smaller price cuts and new discount formats aimed at distinguishing themselves from rivals, moving beyond the relief discounts offered to regular customers in recent months.
In the Spanish market, the leading operators are reassessing the broad-based price reductions introduced at the outset of the year, when a government-backed cut of 20 cents per liter took effect. Large groups expanded their own offerings in response to the policy, building bespoke savings structures that align with their broader energy portfolios.
Repsol signaled a strategic overhaul of its discounts last week. The country’s largest oil company, running about 3,300 stations, will end the blanket 10-cent per liter discount on April 1 and will roll out a new tiered savings program linked to other energy services contracts. These services span electricity, gas, heating, electric mobility, and solar self-consumption across the group family.
Under the new plan, Waylet users will access deferred savings ranging from 5 to 20 cents per liter, with the potential for up to full discounts on electric vehicle charging, contingent on whether customers also engage additional energy products and services from the group. Savings earned at the pump can be used for future payments at Repsol service stations and EV charging points, or applied toward electricity and gas bills, propane cylinders, diesel orders, or other services across roughly 4,400 partner businesses along the road network. At the pump, customers who pay with Waylet will receive 5-cent per liter discounts; those who secure electricity supply will see 10-cent cuts; customers combining electricity and heating will get 15-cent cuts; and those with electricity, heating, and self-consumption services will access 20-cent discounts.
Pressure on competitors
Through this move, Repsol is applying pressure on its major rivals, who are already adjusting their tactics. Cepsa plans to reduce the general discount to a range of 10 to 12 cents and will halve those offers over the next two weeks, including the Easter period. The company expects to present additional promotions of 5 to 6 cents for loyal customers under its Because You’re Back program, varying by fuel type. The strategy appears to be temporary, with the company to decide on a longer trading approach after the two-week window.
Diesel refueling efforts have drawn attention as the industry reacts to shifting incentives, with coverage and visibility for the new promotions expanding across the network.
Meanwhile a British affiliate of a large oil group has not yet revealed its own discounts for the coming week. The current 10-cent offer is slated to end on April 2, with a new sales format to be announced in the days ahead. The specifics of amount and duration remain to be disclosed as the market watches closely.
The three major oil corporations have been layering additional discounts on top of the standard rates, and some government support of 20 cents per liter has offered relief. When the Spanish government stated it would not extend the general discounts beyond 2022, it announced limited bonuses targeting specific worker groups. Companies subsequently extended their promotions, maintaining roughly a 10-cent-per-liter level through late March and into early April.
Between them, the top two groups have reported around 650 million euros in extra discounts implemented since April of the previous year. Repsol notes that its network of more than 3,300 stations delivered near 500 million euros in savings for its customers last year alone. In addition, the group points out that drivers using about 1,500 Cepsa stations accumulated about 148 million euros in discounts through regular travel.
As the market shifts, the sector is watching closely how discount schemes will affect loyalty and travel patterns for drivers who pass through hundreds of service points daily. The aim is to secure long-term customer engagement by tying fuel savings to a broader set of energy services and payment methods, rather than relying solely on per-liter reductions.
In this evolving landscape, discounts are increasingly tied to multi-service bundles and digital wallets, encouraging customers to consolidate their energy needs with a single provider. The outcome will likely steer competitive behavior across the large fuel networks, redefining value for drivers while the market seeks to balance immediate price relief with longer-term relationships and sustainable energy choices.