The operation with the most expensive fuel in history began yesterday on a Friday that also marked the beginning of July. Thus, in the first weekend of the month the liter of gasoline reached 2.128 euros (two cents less than a week ago), while diesel went to 2.1 (it rose about three cents). That is, increases of 53% and 69% compared to the price of fuels when entering the first weekend of July 2021, according to data from the European Union oil bulletin.
The difference when filling a 50-litre tank is around 40 euros in the case of gasoline, although it is reduced when the 20-cent discount is applied, which is not reflected in the data that appears in the document published weekly. the European Commission. In this way, what in July 2021 cost 69 euros in a gasoline vehicle and 62 in a diesel, reaches 106 and 105 this year, although the 10 euros bonus would have to be subtracted.
To this we must add that the sector does not consider that the situation will improve as the summer progresses, since the increase does not depend so much on the price of a barrel of oil as on the bottleneck that the refineries face. This process, which varies depending on the quality and origin of the crude oil, has been slowed down for several months due to problems arising from the closure of the Russian tap. The refineries prepared for their material cannot always be reused for oil from other countries, which is why supply has been reduced at a time of high demand and the market has been stressed
This situation has forced drivers to take action during the first weekend of the outbound operation. Miguel and his partner Sara headed for Tarragona from the Spanish capital yesterday morning. The total to pay at the end of the refueling was 65 euros; They have as a general rule not to spend more. “Before we filled the car with this amount, now we are left with three quarters. We don’t want to spend more than this amount, filling the tank would cost us about 100 euros,” says Miguel, still holding the hose.
Another of the controversial points during the day yesterday among drivers are the measures applied by the Government. Lucía and her group of eight friends, divided into two cars, were heading towards a swamp in the Sierra de Madrid to escape the heat, although they will not escape the pump bill. In his opinion, the discount is ineffective. “I do not understand the measures of the Government, it does not matter 20 cents or 30; it is the companies that are benefiting from this situation, the Government has to tighten because that is the root of the problem,” she maintains. Before resuming the march, Istal, one of the drivers, argues that young people are among the most affected by this situation since “we do not have a job and we dedicate ourselves to studying” during the winter. “I’ve got my license now and you notice it: we are young and we don’t have the means to support a vehicle on our own,” she asserts.
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) foresees 4.5 million trips by road for the first special operation out of this summer that started on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and will continue until midnight on Sunday, July 3. For the whole of this month the number of planned movements is 44 million.
In the hours prior to these massive movements, at the service station there were also those who, at least for now, will not travel. Although he wore typical summer outfits, Ignacio is one of the few stragglers who will continue to work this July. The businessman runs a delivery and food company that covers the entire perimeter of the M-40, which is why his fuel bill has increased substantially. “Before with 50 euros you could do a week, now only three days,” he laments. “If we have to go to Toledo, I spend that money in a single distribution.”
Another of the laggards in this exit operation is Raquel, who works in person from Wednesday to Friday, so she uses the car to get to work. Although she assures that, given her situation, “I have only noticed it a little”, she regrets spending “50 euros of gasoline” extra per month. “With 20 euros she could go all three days, now I have to spend 30”, she concludes.
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