Almost 500 filling stations have closed down in Spain as the government fuel discount smothers small businesses
Now, the Spanish Confederation of Service Station Employers (CEEES) is warning that fuel prices will almost certainly break through the three euros per litre barrier in the coming months.
“I cannot rule out any scenario, we could see prices of 3 euros/litre this summer,” president of the Confederation, Nacho Rabadán, predicted, explaining that the demand for diesel in particular far outweighs the supply. The problem will be far more apparent in the summer months, which bring “an increase in the demand for fuel and there is not enough.”
Today, filling an average 55-litre tank costs around 165 euros, so for a car with a consumption rate of 7 litres per 100, travelling 20,000 kilometres a year, the annual cost has risen to 4,200 euros or 250 euros per month in fuel alone.
It may seem like a bit of a contradiction, but filling stations themselves have reported being far less busy as people choose to walk or cycle rather than fork out fortunes for fuel, and businesses are struggling.
Image: Archive
Source: Murcia Today
