Petrol back above 7 zloty: price caps for Tuesday 13 October

For Tuesday 13 October the energy minister set the maximum price of 95 petrol at PLN 7.06 a litre. That is 9 groszy more than the cap that applied from Saturday to Monday, which stood at PLN 6.97. 98 petrol can cost at most PLN 7.95, 10 groszy more than before (PLN 7.85). Only diesel became slightly cheaper: its cap fell by 4 groszy, from PLN 8.06 to PLN 8.02 a litre.

A week of rises

As recently as Tuesday 6 October the caps were PLN 6.79 for 95 petrol, PLN 7.66 for 98 and PLN 7.82 for diesel. Over the week the cap on 95 petrol therefore rose by 27 groszy, on 98 by 29 groszy and on diesel by 20 groszy. In practice, 50 litres of 95 petrol now costs a driver no more than PLN 353, whereas a week ago the ceiling was PLN 339.50. Diesel remains clearly more expensive than petrol, with a gap of 96 groszy a litre between the caps.

How CPN works

The CPN programme is now in its third phase. Every day the energy minister announces the maximum prices for the following day. These are ceilings: stations may sell fuel for less, but not for more. A station that ignores the cap faces a fine of up to PLN 1 million. Wednesday's caps are due to be announced on Tuesday and were not yet known when this article was prepared. No information was given on a maximum price for autogas (LPG).

The programme's return and the windfall tax

The programme returned on 3 October. Two days earlier President Karol Nawrocki signed the law on a tax on fuel companies' excess profits, while also referring it to the Constitutional Tribunal. After CPN restarted, pump prices fell by about PLN 1.5 a litre. The programme is funded by a 60% tax on excess profits earned between 1 March 2026 and 31 March 2027. CPN is due to run until the end of 2026 and is estimated to cost about PLN 5 billion. Sources disagree on taxes: according to Polsat News it is not confirmed that a VAT and excise cut is currently in force, while Do Rzeczy says the cut is part of the programme.

A dispute over CPN

According to Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka, without CPN diesel would cost PLN 9.47 and 95 petrol PLN 8.40 a litre. "Thanks to CPN, the largest protective programme in the whole EU, prices at stations are among the lowest in the whole of Europe," the minister argues. The head of the President's Chancellery, Paweł Szefernaker, takes a different view: "The president signed the law. And? Drivers are getting hit in the pocket again."

What it means for drivers

Caps change every day, so it is worth checking which maximum price applies before filling up. Prices at stations may be lower, because the cap only sets an upper limit. The programme is also time-limited: under current plans it will run until the end of 2026, and the law that funds it is awaiting review by the Constitutional Tribunal. The programme's future may therefore also depend on the judges' decision.