The government has extended the cut in excise duties on fuel for another 21 days. The measure received the green light from the Council of Ministers, but as anticipated in recent days by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, starting from May 1st the discount will be more substantial for diesel and less for petrol. In fact, diesel will continue to benefit from the 20 cent cut (which becomes 24.4 with VAT), in force since March 19th, while those who supply “green” will have to deal with rising tariffs. In this case – as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni herself reported in the press conference – the discount will in fact drop to 5 cents, which with VAT should become 6.1.
From an economic point of view, the majority’s intention has its own rationale: in addition to being the fuel most affected by the increases, diesel is also used in road transport to move goods. One of the hypotheses was to pass an ad hoc law only for the transport sector, but the government decided to also satisfy motorists. According to what we learn, further measures for road transport will be included in a subsequent provision. The coverage for the discount on excise duties will come from Antitrust sanctions and VAT extra revenue.
How petrol and diesel prices will change from 1 May 2026
Based on the latest data communicated by the Ministry of Business, the average price of fuel in ‘self-service’ mode along the national road network is equal to 1.746 euros per liter for petrol and 2.052 euros per liter for diesel. On the motorway network, green fuel costs 1,801 euros per liter and diesel 2,114.
From Friday 1 May diesel prices will remain unchanged, while petrol prices will increase by 18.3 cents. If today the average is 1.746, with the new reduced discount scheme the green should settle at 1.929. A 50 liter tank of petrol (which has now become our benchmark) should cost 9.15 euros more at unchanged prices, obviously net of any fluctuations linked to the cost of wholesale fuel.
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According to Codacons “the reduction in the discount on petrol excise duties decided today by the government will cost Italians a total of 92 million euros”.
Meloni: “You know how I feel about excise duties, but a structural cut is difficult”
“Today the council of ministers also approved another measure, which is the extension of the cut on excise duties for another three weeks” said Prime Minister Meloni in a press conference. “Although we did it with a difference compared to the past: I told you last time that there is a significant disproportion between the increase in diesel and the increase in petrol. In recent weeks petrol has increased on average by 6%, diesel has increased by 24%. We have therefore concentrated this extension above all on diesel, confirming the cut that was already foreseen for the past, and we have instead reduced it for petrol to a cut of 5 cents, which corresponds more or less to the 6% on the price of fuel”.
“You know how I feel about cutting excise duties in absolute terms” added the prime minister. “I am absolutely a great supporter. After that, you work towards the priorities you have at the moment. The cut in excise duties costs a lot for the benefit it produces, paradoxically, most of the resources you spend go to higher incomes than to lower ones”.
“We imagined – explained Meloni – a cut that for the moment would impact the quality of life of citizens, I don’t feel like saying that for the moment, with an economic situation that will require different responses on different fronts, we can make it structural. It’s difficult for me to be able to say today I’m doing something structural in a scenario that isn’t structural”.