Poland caps petrol 95 at 7.06 zł and diesel at 8.02 zł from Tuesday

Tuesday's price caps

The Ministry of Energy announced maximum retail prices for Tuesday, 13 October 2026, on Monday, 12 October. From Tuesday, a litre of petrol 95 may cost no more than 7.06 zł, petrol 98 no more than 7.95 zł and diesel no more than 8.02 zł. Against the caps in force from Saturday to Monday, petrol 95 rises by 9 groszy from 6.97 zł and petrol 98 rises by 10 groszy from 7.85 zł. Diesel falls by 4 groszy from 8.06 zł, so drivers will pay slightly less for it on Tuesday. The next notice from the minister is due on Tuesday and will set the prices for Wednesday, 14 October.

The third CPN package

The caps form one part of the third edition of the Ceny Paliwa Niżej (CPN) package, which aims to limit price rises at petrol stations and reduce refuelling costs for drivers. The mechanism was launched after parts of a law on the windfall tax on extraordinary profits of fuel companies took effect. The President signed that law and at the same time referred it to the Constitutional Tribunal for follow-up review. The law opens the way to a temporary cut in excise duty and VAT on liquid fuels. According to government assumptions, the whole price support package will cost about 5 bn zł and run until the end of 2026.

The Ministry of Energy explained the reasons for the programme in these words:

Geopolitical tensions, supply constraints and the situation in the Middle East, including around the Strait of Hormuz, affect oil and fuel product prices.

According to information from the Ministry of Energy, the CPN programme will run until 31 December this year. The rules provide for cutting the VAT rate on fuel from 23% to 8%, alongside the excise reduction. Maximum retail prices apply at all petrol stations in the country, and petrol and diesel may not be sold above the set limits.

Financing and penalties

The package is to be funded by a new 60% levy on surplus profits from selling liquid fuels. The levy covers extraordinary profits earned from 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2027 by fuel producers and by entities holding licences to trade fuel with foreign countries. The tax base is the revenue above a level derived from the historical margin achieved in 2025, increased by 20%. The lawmakers set a minimum reference margin of 2%, and for companies that do not produce fuel the tax may not exceed 50% of income or net profit. Failing to apply the maximum prices can bring a fine of up to 1 million zł.

Earlier editions

The first edition was introduced at the end of March as a response to rising oil prices linked to the war between the USA and Israel with Iran. It cut VAT and excise on petrol and diesel and introduced a maximum price set by the Minister of Energy. It ran until the end of June, with the excise cut lasting until mid-June. A second edition ran from 17 to 31 August without the excise cut. The caps announced on Monday belong to the third edition.