Italy restores diesel excise cut of about 4.9 cents a litre until 7 November

The new decree

The Italian government has brought back the excise cut on diesel, which runs from Wednesday, 28 October to 7 November 2026. A decree published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, which Rai dates to 27 October, resets the excise on diesel used as fuel to 632.90 euros per 1,000 litres, or 63.29 cents a litre. Measured against the ordinary rate, that is a reduction of about 4 cents a litre, or about 4.9 cents once 22% VAT is added. Lastampa puts the cut at eleven days, and the rate returns to its ordinary level from 8 November unless a new extension is approved. Open and Fanpage describe the decree as interministerial, issued by the Mef-Mase pair of ministries.

How the cut is financed

The cut relies on the so-called accise mobili mechanism, which uses extra VAT revenue that rising oil prices generate for the state. According to the decree, the higher international price of crude, expressed in euros, pushed VAT receipts above the previous forecast. The cost is covered with 38.7 million euros taken from the additional VAT collected between 1 and 30 September 2026. Rai notes that no new money is being added from the budget. Massimiliano Dona, president of the Unione Nazionale Consumatori, called the measure too small in comments reported by Fanpage and Il Fatto Quotidiano.

“A ridiculous excise cut. A mockery, both for the amount, just 4 cents a litre, and for its duration, only until 7 November.”

Dona went further, arguing that the government keeps extra VAT that Meloni had put at 160 million euros on 7 October, while allocating only 38.7 million, less than 25%. He added that Eni is about to pay dividends of more than 450 million euros, which he said should be returned to households.

Allocated for the 28 October to 7 November cut38.7

Extra VAT Meloni announced on 7 October (per Dona)160

Allocated for the 28 October to 7 November cut

38.7 million euros

Extra VAT Meloni announced on 7 October (per Dona)

160 million euros

Data from the article text

Consumer savings and freight costs

Codacons estimates the saving on a full tank at only 2.44 euros. Lastampa's calculations point the same way, with about 2.45 euros for a 50-litre fill and just under 3 euros for 60 litres. Lastampa also warns that pump prices will not fall by the same amount, since crude prices, distributor margins and the speed of pass-through all matter. Legacoop, speaking on 27 October at the first meeting of the technical table at the Ministry of Transport on freight logistics, said almost 180 million euros would be needed to bring fuel costs back to February 2026 levels until the end of the year. It said the Christmas period would be the most demanding for freight transport.

Earlier cuts in 2026

Rai traces the 2026 cuts to the war in the Middle East. Incursions on oil and gas fields between Iran and Gulf countries, and the halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global crude and LNG trade, pushed fuel prices higher. On 18 March the government approved decree-law 33, worth about 500 million euros, which cut excise for twenty days by 25 cents a litre on petrol and diesel. The cut was extended on 3 April to 1 May at 24.4 cents a litre. By 30 April the diesel discount had fallen to 20 cents and the petrol discount to 5 cents, and on 22 May the diesel discount was halved to 10 cents and extended to 6 June. Rai reports that the last diesel discount had ended on 6 October.