As part of Pedro Sánchez’s plan to lessen the impact of the Ukraine war on the Spanish economy, the government has included “a minimum reduction of 20 cents per litre of fuel” as one of its main measures to reduce spiralling costs for “families and businesses”.

This is available to all people in Spain, not just lorry drivers and other workers in the transport sector who went on strike en masse for two weeks in March over crippling fuel costs. 

The price drop will apply to all types of gasoline, diesel and gas, as well as bioethanol, biodiesel and the special additive AdBlue.

The State will finance 15 cents whilst the oil companies will cover 5 cents, although Sánchez has praised the fact that some multinationals have committed to subsidising an even higher cost. 

All in all, it will cost the Spanish government €1.4 billion to offer these subsidies to the Spanish public, and €473 million for the petrol companies.

Until when will the discount apply?

It starts on Friday April 1st 2022 and will last three months until June 30th.

The Spanish government has indicated that the package of measures rolled out in response to the Ukraine war could be extended beyond that date if necessary.

How much can I expect to save on fuel?

Taking into account the latest data by the Oil Bulletin of the European Union, by applying the 20-cent deduction, diesel in Spain would cost €1.63 per litre on average and unleaded 95 petrol would cost €1.61 per litre. 

According to Spanish consumer watchdog OCU, it will mean that the average Spanish household saves around €65 over the three-month period, or €75 for petrol.

It also obviously depends on the price of each fuel and the initial price set by the individual filling station.

So overall it won’t necessarily mean huge savings for drivers but it certainly helps to move away from the €2/litre rate of recent weeks.

Does the discount apply at all petrol stations in Spain?

According to the Spanish state bulletin (BOE),  the requirement of providing a 5 cent reduction only applies to companies “with refining capacity in Spain and an annual turnover of more than €750 million”.

This is the case for only three of petrol multinationals operating in Spain – Repsol, Cepsa and BP – which together represent 48 percent of the filling stations in the country. 

These companies also have offers for customers on their loyalty programmes and those managing their fuel payment via their mobile apps.

It’s worth remembering however that the Spanish government will cover at least 15 euro cents per litre at other petrol stations as well. 

READ ALSO: Where to get the cheapest fuel in Spain

How do I get the fuel discount?

There isn’t a registration process or modus operandi that has to be followed in order to enjoy the discount. 

The offer is open to everyone and is as straightforward as filling up your tank has always been. 

The only difference to keep in mind is that the price that will appear on the fuel counter as you fill up does not include the price reduction. This will be applied by staff members at the till when it comes to paying.

Spanish petrol stations have two weeks to implement a system which shows the original price and the reduced rate on the receipt handed to drivers when they pay.