Every day is a new surprise for service station operators. As the price of gasoline rises or falls rapidly, they must constantly adapt to competitors’ prices in order to lose as few customers as possible. Customers, on the other hand, have to juggle rising bills for energy, groceries and more.
Contrary to popular belief, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not the only reason for these price fluctuations. Inflation, the exchange rate with the dollar and the euro, but above all the problems of transporting petroleum products by river, play a role in the instability of the fuel market. “In summer, when the level of the Rhine is too low or conversely too high, traffic is much more difficult and then that poses a problem” says Benoît De Corbière, deputy head of service at Agrola SA.
The future remains unclear for gasoline prices. The embargo on Russian products could bring changes to this situation, but nothing can be predicted. In the meantime, many consumers are constantly looking for the cheapest gasoline.