The rise in fuel prices is multifactorial, with several causes explaining it:

  • The international political context

The war in Ukraine has led to an increase in energy prices, especially the price of fuel.

Mainly because of the sanctions that the international community applied to Russia, the third largest oil producing country in the world.

  • The rise in the price of crude oil

The price of a barrel of oil has been steadily increasing since April 2020, when it was quoted at just over 17 dollars, which seems unthinkable at the moment.

The Covid 19 epidemic has paralyzed the economy, forcing a reduction in global oil production.

But, once economic activity was restored, the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) countries decided not to increase production.

Indeed, it is in their interest to keep the price per barrel high.

If there is little oil supply and a lot of demand, the price goes up.

This situation means that, even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the price of a barrel of oil was already above 90 dollars.

After the start of the war, it even reached $128.

  • The price of currencies

As a barrel of oil is paid for in dollars, if the euro depreciates against the dollar, as happened recently, the barrel costs more.

This is the law of exchange rates, and it directly influences the price you pay at the pump.

The French State did set up a fuel discount on November 16, the amount of which amounted to 10 euro cents per litre, but this ended on December 31.

This support measure helps individuals and certain categories of professionals: taxis, farmers, etc.

How to reduce fuel consumption?

Unfortunately, it's complicated to go without fuel to get around, whether it's diesel or gasoline.

It is even the first item of expense for your vehicle.

But there are still levers for action to reduce this consumption.

Indeed, if the driving style or car maintenance is inadequate, fuel consumption increases.

However, by adopting good habits, you can reduce this consumption and thus save money.

Follow our advice:

  • Drive passively and in anticipation

This is the very first step to reducing your fuel consumption.

Avoid sudden starts or braking.

The best thing to do is always to anticipate your driving based on road variables (traffic, environment).

To do this, respect the safety distances to give yourself time to react by avoiding sudden accelerations.

The higher the speed, the more fuel your car will need to consume.

Driving in compliance with the regulations not only saves you money, but also helps the environment.

  • Use more engine braking

This is an efficient method that will save you a lot of fuel.

It is important to release the accelerator when you need to brake, without being abrupt.

But for this to work, it is necessary to always drive at a safe distance.

Engine braking is particularly valuable, especially on steep descents.

This technique reduces fuel consumption by 2 to 3%.

  • Use recommended tires

It may seem insignificant, but using the wrong tires can increase diesel or gasoline consumption.

Low rolling resistance tires are excellent for optimizing fuel consumption.

These tires are made of compounds that allow you to roll without too much effort.

They also wear out less.

This way you will save petrol or diesel and you will be able to drive longer.

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