From Friday 13 November, 50 litres of SP95 will cost 79.75 euros at the maximum permitted price in Luxembourg. That is 1.60 euros less than under the previous price schedule. SP98 is also falling, while diesel is unchanged. To understand this change, three points need to be considered together: the fuel, the price per litre and the quantity bought.
The new prices, announced by RTL on 12 November as coming into effect at midnight, appear in Petrol.lu’s table of maximum prices dated 13 November. This table lists the rates communicated by the Ministry of the Economy under the programme contract. These are maximum selling prices, including all taxes, not a record of the prices charged at each service station.
The price schedule: both petrol grades fall, diesel does not
The price of a litre of Super 95 is capped at 1.595 euros, down from 1.627 euros under the 7 November price schedule. The difference is 3.2 cents per litre. For Super 98, the cap falls from 1.755 to 1.728 euros, a reduction of 2.7 cents. Diesel remains at 1.987 euros per litre on both dates.
The reduction is therefore not the same across the different fuels. Compared with the previous cap, the 3.2-cent reduction amounts to around 2% for SP95; the 2.7-cent reduction represents around 1.5% for SP98. These percentages are calculations based on the two price schedules, not additional reductions to be deducted from the prices quoted.
To compare these figures with a service-station sign or an invoice, use the column marked VAT included. Petrol.lu also publishes figures excluding VAT: confusing them with the prices paid by consumers would make it seem as though there had been a reduction when there had not. The scope here is limited to the three road fuels, without mixing petrol, diesel and heating products.
From a few cents to the amount paid
A difference per litre becomes meaningful once multiplied by the quantity. The calculations below are for a hypothetical purchase of 50 litres at the cap, comparing the same volume on the two dates:
- SP95: 81.35 euros under the 7 November price schedule, then 79.75 euros from 13 November, a reduction of 1.60 euros;
- SP98: 87.75 euros, then 86.40 euros, a reduction of 1.35 euros;
- diesel: 99.35 euros on both dates, with no change.
For SP95, the difference is calculated by multiplying 0.032 euros by 50. “3.2 cents” should not be read as a saving of 3.20 euros on a full tank. For SP98, multiplying 0.027 euros by 50 gives 1.35 euros. The 50-litre volume is only an example: it does not represent a universal tank size or the average purchase size in Luxembourg.
The same principle applies to any other quantity: multiply the number of litres by the price difference. Buying fewer litres reduces the difference in euros; it does not change the reduction per litre. This distinction between price and volume makes it possible to relate a nationwide announcement to the cost of a specific purchase.
A regulated maximum still allows prices to vary
Guichet.lu notes that selling prices are generally free, with exceptions for certain products. Petroleum products are among those whose prices are regulated by programme contracts concluded with companies in the sector.
The maximum sets an upper limit: a service station can sell below it. The price displayed at the pump is therefore still needed to know the cost of a purchase. A driver who was already paying less than the previous cap will not necessarily receive a reduction equal to the one in the price schedule. The 50-litre examples compare the regulatory limits; they do not assume that every service station charged the same previous price.
What unchanged diesel prices allow us to compare
Under the 13 November price schedule, diesel costs more per litre than either grade of petrol. That is not enough to compare the running costs of different vehicles: the cost of travelling a given distance also depends on their fuel consumption. The price of a litre and the cost of a journey measure different things.
Finally, this revision provides a reference point for a particular date, not a guaranteed trend for the following weeks. On its own, it does not make it possible to attribute the reduction to a specific cause or announce a tax cut. For a purchase, the useful information remains the fuel in question, the date of the price schedule, the price actually displayed and the quantity chosen.
References
- RTL: announcement of the new prices in Luxembourg
- Petrol.lu: official prices and history of price caps
- Guichet.lu: price-setting and regulation of petroleum products
The Berchem Est service area, on the A3 motorway, on 5 March 2025. Archive photograph.
