Two weeks that the prices displayed at the pump are falling. According to data published on Monday by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the liter of diesel lost 4 cents last week, to be displayed on average at 1.82 euros in service stations. Over a fortnight, it fell by just over 4%. As for the SP95-E10, the drop is a little less marked. The liter fell by two cents over a week, to 1.70 euro (- 3% over a fortnight).
Once again, it is the price of oil which above all explains this trend. Since mid-November, the price per barrel has lost nearly 13%. The main reason ? The health situation in China. The strict conditions decided by Beijing to fight against its outbreaks of Covid raise fears of a slowdown in demand for oil in the country.
A favorable euro/dollar parity
However, a drop in demand by the main importer automatically leads to a drop in prices on world markets. Especially since OPEC +, which brings together 23 oil-producing countries, has decided for its part to maintain its level of production. Very often, when prices slow down, the organization reduces the gates to lower supply and thus push prices up. But not this time.
Another element that relieves the wallets of motorists: the euro/dollar parity which is improving. As black gold is sold and bought in dollars, Europeans need less money to buy barrels. And a priori, the embargo on Russian oil transported by sea, decreed by the Europeans, should not have an impact. All the experts agree that the refiners had anticipated the decision and found other sources of supply to supply the engines of our cars.
As a reminder, the rebates of 10 cents, whether that of TotalEnergies in its stations or that of the government at all the pumps, are maintained until December 31. A support mechanism for households who need their car to work must take over.