Evidence shows a subdued activity level in the economy, with high supplier prices keeping consumption down across the province. The latest data from the Petroleum Products Strategic Reserves Authority (Cores) confirms that distribution through service stations and distributors remains below typical levels. In the first quarter of the year, volumes were about 10% under normal post-pandemic benchmarks and even lower than the same period last year. This occurs despite the fact that the third COVID wave once again constrained key sectors like tourism and hospitality in Alicante.
Between January and March, a total of 215,988 tons of fuel were sold in the province, marking a 1.2% year-over-year decline from 213,272 tons in the first quarter of 2021. When compared with the first quarter of 2019, sales were down by 10.3%, with more than 241,000 tons distributed since then.
How to drive to save gas
Fuel performance varies by type, and the gap relative to pre-COVID levels is widest in the vicinity. Diesel remains roughly 13% below normal, while gasoline sits about 2.2% lower. This divergence reflects transport patterns: diesel fuels most professional transport, accounting for roughly three-quarters of consumption, and a higher share of diesel engines overall. Gasoline has reached new highs thanks to cleaner-burning properties and evolving vehicle fleets.
The numbers carry practical implications for carriers and daily travel. March sales lagged well behind 2019 levels, even as delivery schedules faced pressures from industrial and logistical disruptions.
Fernando Moner, speaking on behalf of the Valencian Consumers and Users Association (Avacu), notes that the main drag on fuel consumption is the price rise. He recalls that diesel started just over one euro last year and says, “People still want to drive, but the cost is rising fast, and many drivers are thinking twice.” In the current state, diesel averaged 1.095 per liter in January and has since moved higher, while state-wide averages for gasoline have edged up as well. Moner adds, “For many, the higher prices feel irresistible.”
Discount
Initial data do not yet reflect the impact of the government’s 20-cent-per-liter bonus intended to soften these price spikes. The Mediterranean Service Stations Federation reports that after the early surge in sales—driven by drivers delaying refueling to take advantage of the discount—overall sales have dipped below pre-COVID levels.
Official figures from gas stations, transmitted to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, show that after an initial two-week decline, average prices for both diesel and petrol before the discount remained higher than when the measure was announced. In other words, the discount’s effect has already been partially eroded by subsequent price increases.
As of this week, diesel prices averaged around 1.908 kuruş per liter, about 3.4 cents more than when the government decision was announced on March 28; gasoline 95 averaged 1.899 kuruş, up 5.7 cents since then. Realized savings have been reduced to under 15 cents per liter in practice.
The government plans to remove the fuel bonus if oil companies continue to raise prices.
Compared with prices before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, diesel is up by 39 cents and 25.6% higher, while gasoline 95 is about 27 cents more expensive, a 16.2% rise. Avacu’s chair welcomes the National Markets and Competition Commission’s probe into whether operators are exploiting the bonus to raise margins, while वह disagrees with threats not to extend the measure, considering it ineffective in curbing prices.
Industry groups argue that gas stations must reflect market fuel prices in their pumps and point to international market shifts as the main drivers of price increases. They contend that higher diesel costs largely stem from the war’s impact on refining costs and supply chains.
With payments to stations under review, the main service station associations criticized delays in returning the 20-cent-per-liter relief, which has strained cash flow. While most stations received April advances, many have yet to receive settlements expected in May. Transport Minister Raquel Sánchez stated that 100% of advances have been paid and 50% of settlements have been disbursed, with the remainder to be expedited.
Throughout this period, the focus remains on how price signals, discount policies, and market dynamics shape consumer behavior, freight economics, and regional fuel availability. The evolving policy stance and ongoing price fluctuations underscore the interplay between government intervention, market forces, and consumer response, as captured by industry representatives and consumer advocates in the province of Alicante.