Most consumers are not filling up their cars, the Vice President and Spokesperson of the Gas Station Owners’ Association, Christodoulos Christodoulou said, expressing his assessment that fuel prices are expected to fall by the end of August at the latest, provided that international oil prices stabilise at lower levels.
Asked whether the upward trend in fuel prices is expected to continue, Christodoulou noted that, since 17 July, petrol has increased by 12 cents per litre, diesel by 19 cents per litre and heating oil by 10 cents per litre, stressing that these are “very steep increases”.
According to Christodoulou, the current average price of unleaded 95 petrol is around €1.60 per litre, diesel is around €1.79 per litre, and heating oil is around €1.49 per litre.
He said that the price of oil is falling, but fuel prices have increased, noting that new shipments need to arrive before prices can come down.
Asked about this, he said the current prices likely reflect fuel shipments purchased when oil was trading at $95-97 per barrel.
“We expect prices to fall, provided that the price [of oil] stabilises at lower levels,” he said, noting that it is currently at $84 per barrel, compared with $79 two or three days ago.
“We hope the upward trend will not continue,” he added.
Asked when the new shipments are expected, Christodoulou said that this is a matter for the companies, but that companies generally bring in new shipments approximately every 15 days and that, “logically, by the end of the month at the latest, we will see price reductions”.
Asked whether they are receiving complaints from consumers, Christodoulou said that consumers are asking questions and complaining because they see international oil prices falling during this period while fuel prices at petrol stations are increasing. He added that petrol station owners explain the reasons behind the increases.
Replying to another question, he said that most consumers do not fill up their cars. “They may put in €20, €30 or €40 at a time. Very few fill their tanks,” he added.
Asked whether there has been increased consumption due to summer trips to beaches and mountainous areas, Christodoulou said there has been “a slight increase” in traffic, but that people are being cautious.
“People are not travelling around as much as they used to”, he said. Christodoulou also pointed out that many consumers are going to the north to fill up their cars because fuel is cheaper there, noting that this was a “very serious issue”.
