All-time record diesel prices were recorded in France at the start of the week – and have only increased since – leading drivers to fear further rises in the coming days.
Average weekly diesel (gazole) prices reached €2.188 on Monday (March 30), the highest since records began in 1985.
The previous high of €2.1407 per litre of diesel was recorded in March 2022, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
This dataset covers prices across the previous seven days at more than 9,000 service stations across France although new data released this morning points towards a further increase this week.
Government data suggests that the average diesel price across France is now €2.250 per litre, increasing by around 6c per litre in two days.
This average is some 50c higher per litre than February 27, the last day before the current US/Israel and Iran conflict began in the Middle East.
While petrol prices are also impacted, reaching costs of €1.990 per litre of SP95-E10 and €2.074 per litre of SP98, this is below the peaks seen in 2022.
Fuel cap price extended
Drivers are set for some relief however as energy giant TotalEnergies announced it will extend its fuel cap until at least April 7.
The scheme, originally set to end on March 31, has seen prices capped at €1.99 per litre for petrol and €2.09 per litre for diesel at all 3,300 TotalEnergies service stations in France.
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These prices will remain unchanged as part of the temporary extension, which is open to all drivers.
Some TotalEnergies stations saw fuel shortages last weekend as drivers flocked to take advantage of the lower than average prices.
Holders of a gas or electricity contract with the supplier can benefit from a greater cap as part of the ‘Avantage Carburant’ scheme.
This sees the price of all fuel – including diesel – capped at €1.99 for the entirety of 2026.
To benefit, drivers need to have a gas or electricity contract with TotalEnergies, be part of the Club TotalEnergies loyalty programme, and then ask to join the Avantage Carburant scheme.
More information is available on the website here.
Are further increases on the way?
The future of gas and petrol prices is currently reliant on the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
Crude oil prices have yo-yoed in recent days, reaching $115 dollars per barrel of Brent crude oil (the market benchmark) before dropping to below $100 within 24 hours.
The lack of a stable, lower oil price means any brief reduction in purchase cost of raw materials is unlikely to reduce costs at the pumps for drivers anytime soon.
In addition, the lack of fuel passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and the damage to oil and gas producing facilities in the Middle East, means output of gas and oil fields in the area may not reach pre-conflict levels for several months, if not years.
Diesel prices are particularly impacted in France because unlike petrol – much of which is refined from crude products on French soil – the majority of diesel is imported into the country.
While this usually does not affect costs (diesel is traditionally cheaper per litre in France than petrol), during a global shortage it can see prices rise dramatically, as France is reliant on importing the more expensive refined and final product than the raw goods.
Diesel remains popular in France with the number of diesel passenger cars standing at around 20 million, representing roughly 50% of all cars on French roads. At the same time, most French trucks also use diesel.
