Fuel: 18% of stations affected by partial shortages after Easter

In the aftermath of the Easter long weekend, fuel prices are rising again. Maud Bregeon, Minister Delegate for Energy, estimated on Tuesday, April 7, that "approximately 18%" of service stations were out of at least one product, during an interview on RMC/BFMTV.

Note that we are talking about partial shortages here: it is not about stations that are completely dry, but about pumps that are lacking a specific fuel, which is enough to create annoyance and detours for motorists.

TotalEnergies is the focus of most of the tensions

The minister attributes these tensions to "logistical and transport issues," with deliveries delayed until after the holidays. But the crux of the matter lies primarily with one network: TotalEnergies. According to Maud Bregeon, "83%" of the stations experiencing shortages belong to this brand, while the rate drops to around 4% for others. A very French paradox, almost a mechanical one: when a company caps prices, it attracts more customers, its stations see increased traffic, the tanks fill up faster… and the slightest truck delay is immediately felt at the pump.

Since the start of the war in the Middle East, TotalEnergies has maintained a maximum price of €1,99 per liter for gasoline and €2,09 for diesel at its 3,300 stations across France, a measure announced to remain in effect until this Tuesday. Meanwhile, the industry paints a somewhat bleaker picture: Olivier Gantois, president of the French Union of Petroleum Industries, reports that one in four stations is out of at least one fuel, while noting that the price increase in March did not reduce consumption, which is reported to have risen by 1% year-on-year. In other words, the country continues to operate at high prices and with limited resources, with the familiar refrain that arises whenever schedules become disrupted: how long can the supply chain hold up smoothly when demand remains strong?