driving
French fuel price cuts of up to 18 cents per litre from November 1
Government releases strategic diesel reserves under new decree
Diesel prices in France are set to fall by up to 18 cents per litre from November 1 under a new government decree releasing strategic fuel reserves at below-market prices.
The measure, published in the Journal officiel on October 24, allows up to 1.6 billion litres of diesel, heating oil and lamp kerosene to be released from strategic stocks, with suppliers legally required to pass the resulting savings on to customers.
The government estimates that the measure will reduce prices by 12-18 cents per litre over three months, although the actual reduction may vary between suppliers.
How will the price cuts work?
The decree, which follows an earlier announcement, allows strategic diesel stocks to be sold to fuel suppliers at their weighted average original acquisition cost rather than their current market value.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in a social media post on October 24 that the stocks would be released at a price nearly four times below their current market value.
Le décret permettant la libération de 10 millions de barils de gazole vient d’être pris. Ces stocks seront mis sur le marché à leur prix d’acquisition, près de quatre fois inférieur au prix actuel du marché. Ils permettront ainsi une baisse du prix du gazole pouvant atteindre 18 centimes par litre. Cette baisse est attendue à compter du 1er novembre. Une garantie : l’intégralité de cet avantage financier devra être répercutée sur le prix payé par les consommateurs. Cette mesure bénéficiera également aux consommateurs de gazole non routier, de gazole pêche, de fioul domestique et de gazole en Outre-mer.
— Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) October 24, 2026
The difference between the purchase price and estimated market value constitutes a financial advantage which suppliers must pass on to customers.
This obligation extends throughout the distribution chain, preventing wholesalers and retailers from retaining the savings.
Commerce Minister Serge Papin has previously promised weekly checks to ensure reductions reach motorists.
"We will check every week that reductions reach the pumps," he said in a government statement on October 7.
The measure also covers domestic heating oil (fioul domestique) and kerosene (pétrole lampant), but not petrol such as SP95 or SP98.
Will all petrol stations offer the same reduction?
The decree does not impose a fixed reduction per litre, meaning savings may vary depending on the supplier and volumes distributed.
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné has already suggested that the reduction at his company's stations will be lower than the government's initial estimate, at around 8-12 cents per litre for private motorists.
Customers must be informed of the applicable reduction, expressed in euros per litre, before completing their purchase.
The release of strategic stocks is authorised until January 31, with the wider decree remaining applicable until April 15.
Fuel suppliers will also be required to submit regular reports to the government detailing the volumes purchased, savings received and amounts passed on to customers.
