Drivers in France rush for fuel amid price rises and fear of shortages

A spike in fuel sales from drivers rushing to the pumps is prompting worries of an increase in petrol prices, with some service stations already facing shortages.

Supermarket chain Intermarché said fuel sales at its service stations had increased 50% in less than a week, and Super U said it is seeing nearly double the usual levels of through traffic, following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East last weekend. 

A rush to the pumps has led to shortages of several fuel types, with some stations closing due to sudden high demand.

This includes both independent stations and those controlled by major operators such as TotalEnergies.

Unofficial fuel tracking sight penurie-carburant states shortages of all major fuel types:

• 5% of service stations face a gasoline (gazole) shortage
• 26% an E10 (unleaded petrol) shortage
• 68% an SP-95 shortage
• 21% an SP-98 (unleaded) shortage

The shortages do not necessarily mean that fuel is completely out of stock, but may be at risk of running out before the next scheduled delivery.  The website offers an interactive map that also shows if a service station is out of stock (en rupture).

There are disparities between both types of service station and regions. Filling up on the motorway can cost up to 10c more per litre, and fuel prices in the capital Île-de-France region are around 8c per litre more than in Brittany.

The government offers an official fuel comparison and finder website.

Stocking up in excess can lead to artificial supply issues, namely stations running out of stock when plenty of fuel remains nationally, because of an influx of customers.

France has a constant three-month supply of fuel, as per EU stipulations, however this could deplete quicker if there is an influx of fuel purchases. 

Minister calls for calm

The price per litre of SP95-E10 petrol was 5c higher on Wednesday (March 4) than last Friday (February 27) for example.

Some service stations have seen fuel prices for SP-98 unleaded petrol jump to more than €2 per litre, including in Nîmes and Avignon, a benchmark price not seen since the outbreak of the War in Ukraine in 2022.

This is around 20c per litre more than the average price at the same time last week, however this is an anomaly and in most cases SP-98 remains at around €1.82 per litre, and SP-95 at around €1.83 per litre.

Finance Minister Roland Lescure has called on drivers in France to act calmly and not stock up in excess, as a sudden drop in supply would inevitably lead to further price hikes.

“I have asked the DGCCRF [Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control] to conduct checks" on fuel prices across the country, he said to FranceInfo on Wednesday (March 4).

The government will "ensure that the price increases are… reasonable given the rise in the price of a barrel of oil,” he added. 

"In more than 97% of the country, there are no problems; that is to say, we are in a normal situation where we have gasoline everywhere."

A meeting is being organised today between the Finance Ministry and service station operators to ensure prices remain reasonable and to minimise the risk of shortages.

However, CEO of Coopérative U group Dominique Schelcher said service stations are not set to benefit from any increase in prices, as more than half of the cost drivers pay at the pump go to the government via taxes.

"More than 51% of the price you pay at the pump goes directly into the State's coffers. There's no question of distributor margins," he said.

"We do everything we can at our stations to stay below [€2 per litre], but there's an economic reality: we also have to cover our costs."

He reiterated calls not to bulk buy petrol.

Are price increases inevitable?

Commentators have said that increased petrol prices are ‘inevitable’ if conflict continues in the Middle East.

Disruption to the Strait of Hormuz – responsible for around one-fifth of both global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments – leads to a knock-on effect on fuel prices, with experts predicting increases of up to 20c per litre if crude oil costs reach $100 per barrel. 

However, the government is attempting to downplay concerns. 

It is “far too early to draw definitive conclusions,” said government spokesperson Maud Bregeon, who pointed towards the “great unpredictability of the conflict's scope in time and space.” 

Calls for tax reductions ‘premature’

The spokesperson also kept quiet when questioned on potential aid measures the government may introduce if fuel prices rise, saying it was “much too early to talk about that.” 

Following the outbreak of the War in Ukraine, fuel duty payouts for low-income and working households and an ‘energy shield’ to limit bill increases were rolled out, costing billions.

Ms Bregeon said the call by the far-right Rassemblement National to drop VAT on fuel, heating oil, and gas from 20% to 5.5% was ‘premature.’ 

This is a policy the party has been in favour of for several years.

“Faced with the risk of soaring energy prices due to the situation in the Middle East, the French government and the European Union must anticipate the consequences for the daily lives of French citizens now,” said Rassemblement National leader Jordan Bardella on X.

“It would be untenable for the State to enrich itself at the expense of the French people by taking advantage of the international crisis,” he added.

The government spokesperson however said reducing the tax now would lead to a budgetary shortfall of around €20 billion.