Italian fuel prices climb past 2 euros as premium motorway diesel reaches 3.159 euros

National averages and motorway peaks

Data published on 26 August by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Mimit) recorded average self-service fuel prices along the national road network at 2.017 euros per litre for petrol and 2.137 euros for diesel. On motorways, self-service petrol reached 2.092 euros per litre while diesel rose to 2.208 euros. Price monitoring by consumer group Codacons across 24 and 25 August identified the highest individual rate along the A22 Brennero-Modena motorway, where served Esso Supreme Diesel reached 3.159 euros per litre. Other elevated rates appeared on the A21 Torino-Piacenza motorway, where served diesel reached 2.729 euros, and on the island of Pantelleria, where diesel reached 2.799 euros per litre. Confesercenti estimated that Italian motorists paid up to 1.8 billion euros more for fuel in July and August compared to the same two months in 2025.

Government response and fiscal costs

The Italian government scheduled an extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting for 18:00 on Wednesday to decide on excise duty measures ahead of the midnight expiration of the floating excise mechanism. Since the introduction of the initial discount on 19 March, the state has spent approximately 1.96 billion euros through ministerial funds and surplus value-added tax revenue to finance fuel subsidies, including a 17-cent cut on diesel excise duties. Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani addressed the driver of the increases in public comments on Monday.

Unfortunately the increase in the price of diesel and petrol does not depend on the Italian government, it depends on the international situation that exists.

International crude benchmarks stood at 87.08 dollars per barrel for Brent and 80.87 dollars for West Texas Intermediate. The government is evaluating targeted subsidies tied to household income through social card mechanisms rather than blanket excise cuts.

Political debate and consumer proposals

The Democratic Party called for a windfall tax on energy company profits, pointing to domestic retail price rises occurring during fluctuations in international crude benchmarks. Consumer associations voiced opposition to targeted aid, with the National Consumers Union demanding an immediate reduction of 30 cents per litre on diesel and 14 cents on petrol. Codacons and Adoc also characterized selective relief mechanisms as insufficient for general transport costs.

Nobody claims that tomorrow all Italians will pay 3 euros for a litre of fuel, but the very fact that this threshold has already been exceeded in some stations must set off an alarm bell.

Local exception in Valle Castellana

In the Abruzzo municipality of Valle Castellana, petrol sold for 1.75 euros per litre and diesel for 1.99 euros at a municipal station. Mayor Camillo D'Angelo acquired the single fuel station in the town of just over 800 residents to counter local depopulation across its 134 square kilometre area. The municipality purchases fuel and resells it at acquisition cost, adding only taxes and essential operating expenses. The automated facility accepts only cash payments due to municipal treasury procedures and supplier terms.