Diesel prices at Italian petrol stations have reached a new all-time record. According to figures published today by the Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, the average diesel price on Italian motorways stands at 2.204 euros per litre, surpassing the previous high set in March 2022 and significantly exceeding the price of petrol. At the end of this Wednesday, the 17-cent tax reduction introduced by the government in August will expire. Without a swift decision, a further price increase of around 17 cents per litre looms, and in some cases considerably more. Here is an overview of what is currently on the table, what consumer associations are demanding, and what travellers on Italian motorways should now be aware of.
The new record in figures
As the Italian news agency ANSA reports, citing official MIMIT figures, the current average price for diesel at self-service pumps on the Italian motorway network stands at 2.204 euros per litre. The previous record was set on 14 March 2022, during the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, at 2.154 euros per litre. The current figure is therefore around five cents above the previous high. On the regular road network, the average price for diesel is 2.131 euros per litre, and for petrol 2.010 euros. In Italy's record statistics since 2022, the threshold of 2 euros per litre has been exceeded on only eight occasions, all between March 2022 and September 2023.
The consumer associations have responded sharply to the figures. As the daily newspaper Il Faro Online documents, citing the Codacons report, Codacons has calculated that, without the current tax reduction, the motorway diesel price would already stand at around 2.375 euros per litre. For a 50-litre tank, this would represent an additional outlay of around 8.50 euros per fill-up. The Unione Nazionale Consumatori describes the situation as a structural market problem and criticises the government's meccanismo delle accise mobili model as a "colossal fraud", arguing that real market prices are rising more sharply than the values assumed by the Ministry for additional revenue.
What is being decided in Rome today
This Wednesday, the Meloni government, led by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti and Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, is deliberating on further measures. As Sky TG24 documents in its current coverage, two options are under consideration. The first is a further flat-rate tax reduction, extended for additional weeks or months, which would however cost around one billion euros per month according to the Ministry of Economy's calculations. The second option involves more targeted support for particularly affected groups, such as commuters, haulage companies and tradespeople who depend on diesel. Pichetto Fratin spoke cautiously at a press conference on the sidelines of the Meeting di Rimini , announcing that the government would reach a decision within the coming hours.
The additional revenue from VAT on rising fuel prices is the central source of funding. As the portal Juorno reports with reference to the current debate, the 48-hour extension of the tax reduction through to today has cost around 20.8 million euros from the so-called extragettito Iva . A monthly sum of one billion euros would quickly exhaust the available funds and require an alternative financing route. The windfall tax on excess profits of energy companies, which the government had examined, was rejected by the European Union, as regulation in this area remains a matter for individual member states.
What stands out in particular at the Brenner
For travellers arriving in Italy by car or motorwaythe situation on the Brenner motorway is particularly relevant. On the A22 Brennero-Modena, the so-called Supreme Diesel, a premium fuel variant with special additives and a higher cetane rating, has already exceeded the 3-euro-per-litre mark and is priced at 3.159 euros per litre. On the A15 Cisa motorway, the attended service (servito) price for diesel stands at 2.629 euros per litre, and for petrol at 2.499 euros. These figures apply to individual petrol stations, but they illustrate the range within which current prices vary.
For the typical journey via the Brenner the motorway prices on the Italian side from the border onwards are correspondingly high. Those planning a longer drive are advised to check prices before crossing the border and, where possible, to fill up there. Within Italy, prices vary considerably between motorway service stations and regular petrol stations in surrounding areas, with a difference of often more than 10 cents per litre between a motorway petrol station and a regular in-town petrol station just a few kilometres away.
The meccanismo delle accise mobili
The Italian funding mechanism is a key element of the debate. As the specialist magazine Quattroruote documents in its analysis of current prices, the system of accise mobili as follows: when international oil prices rise, so do the final prices at the petrol station, and with them the state's VAT receipts. The government uses these extra receipts (the extragettito Iva) to fund a temporary reduction in the excise duty on diesel and petrol, in order to soften the price increase for consumers. The current excise duty on diesel stands at 0.650 euros per litre including VAT; for petrol it is 0.821 euros.
The drawback of this mechanism is its short-term nature. The current 17-cent reduction can only be activated for a few days or weeks at a time, because the government requires a new ministerial decree on each occasion and the costs immediately burden the current budget. Critics such as the Unione Nazionale Consumatori are therefore calling for a structural reform that would more effectively capture the windfall profits of oil companies and reduce the tax burden on fuels in general, rather than merely cushioning it on a temporary basis.
What travellers and motorists should know now
For practical holiday planning in the coming weeks, a number of clear guidelines can be drawn. Those travelling by car in Italy after 26 August should expect prices either to remain at their current record level or to rise by up to 17 cents per litre, depending on the decision the government reaches. Petrol stations on the motorway are almost consistently and considerably more expensive than those on ordinary roads and in towns, with typical price differences of 8 to 15 cents per litre. Leaving the motorway to fill up at a nearby petrol station can easily save 5 to 7 euros per fill for a 50-litre tank.
Prices vary considerably by region and motorway. Particularly expensive are the Cisa motorway between Parma and La Spezia and the Brenner motorway A22 between Modena and Brennero. In the southern regions, road prices for diesel are on average lower than in the north, though the precise figures depend on the local competitive situation and the petrol station chains. For travel budgeting in autumn, it is advisable to allow a buffer of at least 20 to 25 per cent above last year's summer averages, as the situation may deteriorate further after 27 August. Those planning the total costs of a driving trip to Italy are advised to monitor current prices daily via petrol station apps or the Osservaprezzi Carburanti portal of the MIMIT.
