Every filling station in Portugal has until mid-April to start selling low cost fuel, according to an announcement in the Official Gazette today.
"Without prejudice to the free market of petrol and diesel with additional additives beyond the minimum necessary for the performance of its specifications, petrol stations should also market simple fuel," reads the order which must be complied with within 90 days.
In December 2014, parliament unanimously approved a law which required all filling stations to market `low cost’ fuel.
The final version of the bill differs to the draft bill as now every filling station regardless of size must adhere to the new rule. Originally the new law was to cover only stations with four pumps or more.
The new year began with good news for motorists as filling stations slowly started to reflect falling prices for oil and oil derivatives on the international market.
The introduction of Portugal's green tax saw prices rise in many filling station chains even though retailers were allowed to work through their existing petrol and diesel stocks before adding the green tax supplement.
Many fuel stations simply pocketed the price rise in the hope that customers would blame the government which introduced the green tax rather than their own greed.
Diesel is now available in Portugal for under €1 a litre and petrol at around €1.20
See http://www.precoscombustiveis.dgeg.pt/
and
which show that it is possible to fill up for prices not seen for at least 5 years.
This weekend prices are dropping again as companies compete for drivers.
The Algarve low for Unleaded 95 is €1.19 at the Intermarches in Lagos and VRSA, with the cheapest diesel being found at Intermarche Lagos at €1.039.
