The diesel discount is back, but in pocket-sized format. From today, Wednesday 28 October, and until 7 November the excise duty on diesel used as fuel drops to 632.90 euros per thousand litres. This is established by an inter-ministerial decree of the Ministry of Economy, adopted in agreement with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and published in the Official Journal.
How much do you save per litre?
The ordinary rate, which returned into force on 6 October upon expiry of the previous cut, is 672.90 euros per thousand litres. The difference is 40 euros, therefore 4 cents per litre, which with VAT at 22% rises to around 4.9. Nothing changes for petrol, because the provision only concerns diesel. From November 8, if a new decree does not arrive, the full rate will be returned.
Mobile excise duties and VAT extra revenue
The government used the mechanism of so-called mobile excise duties. When the rise in crude oil prices causes VAT revenues to grow beyond forecasts, the excess can be repaid with a cut in excise duties. The decree writes it explicitly: the measure serves “to compensate for the greater revenue from the value added tax compared to the latest forecast, resulting from the increase in the international price, expressed in euros, of crude oil”. The coverage is worth 38.7 million euros and comes from part of the increased VAT revenue collected between 1 and 30 September.
Consumer reactions
The associations are not satisfied. Massimiliano Dona, president of the National Consumers Union, spoke of a mockery. He recalled that on 7 October Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had indicated an extra revenue that had already reached 160 million, while the decree allocates less than a quarter of it. Codacons has calculated the full tank: with a tank of diesel you save 2.44 euros. Basically, a coffee and little more, for about eleven days.
