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Petrol prices continue to rise as hundreds of stations run out of fuel
Fuel prices are set to reach new all-time highs once again this week
LE PICTORIUM / Alamy Stock Photo
Fears of a fuel shortage continue to mount in France as protests and blockade of fuel depots continue.
Fishers in Hérault have blocked an oil depot at Frontignan this morning (September 16) to highlight their anger at rising fuel prices, which earlier this week reached all-time highs for petrol.
It comes after action at the start of the week saw fishers block a fuel depot at Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) before being removed by police, and protests prevented a Corsica Ferries vessel depart from Sète (also in Hérault).
Fishers, backed by unions and committees across the south, said protest action – including blockades – “will continue until concrete responses are provided to the industry’s main demands.”
These demands centre around “a continuous deterioration in their operating conditions… [countering] rising operating and fuel costs [and]… a proliferation of administrative and regulatory constraints.”
Service stations begin to run out of fuel
The blockades have added to concerns that France is on the brink of a serious fuel shortage, at the same time as prices reach record highs.
The government releases statistics on average fuel prices weekly, meaning Monday’s totals are the most recent official figures.
Unofficial comparison site Carbu records prices increasing today compared to last week, indicating that new all-time highs are on the way.
The website records average prices of €2.23 per litre of SP98-E5 fuel, €2.20 of SP95-E5, and €2.13 for SP95-E10, higher than Monday’s official figures.
Diesel (gazole) is currently at €2.34 per litre according to Carbu, only €0.04 off the all-time high set in April 2026.
The government reports that around 9% of service stations are facing shortages of at least one type of fuel today, a metric it updates daily. Certain regions, notably the Pays de la Loire and Occitanie have higher figures at around 12%.
This is lower than the estimate of 10% given on Tuesday, but is calculated by the government by the self-reporting of fuel shortages by a certain number of service stations rather than every single station (roughly 9,900 out of 11,000+).
Continued restrictions on fuel supplies due to tensions in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are likely to contribute to both increased prices and shortages until the strait reopens.
Many of the stations suffering a shortage are run by TotalEnergies, where a fuel cap of €1.99 per litre of petrol and €2.25 per litre of diesel remains in place, enticing customers looking for the cheapest fuel.
Motorists in border regions are driving outside of France in search of savings, particularly in Andorra and Spain where fuel is considerably cheaper due to lower taxes. The French government remains adamant that it will not implement fuel tax cuts.
Average prices in Spain are around €1.70 per litre for diesel and €1.80 to €1.90 for petrol depending on type. In Andorra, prices are even lower, at €1.63 – €1.67 per litre.
Some have even resorted to using jerrycans to fill up and bring home to prevent several long drives, but must carefully follow laws on transporting and stocking them if choosing to do so.
You can use the government’s ‘prix-carburant’ website to check prices and shortages at stations near you.
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