Based on the Decree of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy of 31 March 2023, new price displays will be installed in fuel sales points from 1 August. Here is a brief guide for an aware consumer elaborated by Unem, the association that represents the main oil companies operating in Italy.
What prices are indicated today in the fuel point of sale?
Inside the point of sale today the consumer finds the prices actually charged for each type of product sold both in the self-service mode, usually lower, and, if present, in the served mode.
What changes from August 1st?
From 1 August inside the plant, in addition to the prices charged, the regional average price will also be advertised, if the point of sale is on the road, and the national average price if the point of sale is on the motorway.
How is the average price calculated?
It is processed daily by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy on the basis of the prices actually charged by the merchants, as an arithmetic mean.
How are prices displayed?
They must be visibly displayed inside the plant on a sign showing the average prices for each type of fuel sold (average self-service price for diesel and petrol, average price served for LPG and methane).
For which products should the average price be displayed?
For diesel, petrol, LPG and compressed natural gas (CNG); LNG and L-CNG as well as specialty fuels are excluded.
How can I know the average price of the day and the cheapest lifts?
The average price can be found every day on the Osservaprezzi website of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy no earlier than 8.30 or at the points of sale by 10.30 if the system opens before 8.30; in case of opening after 8.30, the average price will be displayed within two hours after opening.
Why is the average price different from Region to Region?
Each Region has different market conditions which depend on the type of plants, on the more or less widespread presence in fuel sales points of other services and commercial activities and on the logistic infrastructures for refueling the plants themselves.
Why can the price actually charged be different from the average price?
The “average price” is the average of the prices charged by all the road systems in the single Region or by all the motorway systems in Italy, while the price charged by the single system depends on a multiplicity of factors, including its efficiency in management and in procurement, the methods of service, as well as the commercial policies of the operator and of the company that supplies it.