Portuguese motorists face another sharp increase in the price of diesel from Monday, with prices expected to rise by 4.5 cents per litre, while petrol is forecast to become 1.5 cents cheaper.
According to forecasts released on Friday by the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), the average price of standard diesel could rise to around €2.189 per litre, while 95 petrol is expected to fall to approximately €2.10 per litre.
For someone filling a 50-litre tank, that translates into an additional €2.25 for diesel, while the equivalent petrol fill-up would become around 75 cents cheaper.
The forecasts are based on international fuel market prices and exchange rates and can still change depending on Friday’s market close and any adjustments to Portugal’s fuel tax (ISP).
They come at a particularly sensitive time for Portuguese motorists, following weeks of steep increases linked to the conflict in the Middle East and disruption to international energy supplies.
According to ECO, since the start of the latest conflict in the region, diesel has accumulated an increase of 51.8 cents per litre, while petrol has risen by 40.7 cents, even before next week’s forecast changes are taken into account.
The latest forecasts come only days after Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described the surge in fuel costs as “senseless” and called for international action to bring down prices, warning that the increases were placing growing pressure on both households and businesses.
Michael Bruxo
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.