Drivers across Spain are being hit with a sharp surge in diesel prices after the cost of fuel shot up by 32 cents per litre in just five days.
The average price on the mainland has jumped from €1.456 to €1.77 per litre – a rise of around 22% – according to consumer watchdog Facua.
The group has now urged Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to step in immediately and cap fuel prices.
Facua secretary general Ruben Sanchez claimed the dramatic increase has little to do with oil prices and instead accused some petrol stations of exploiting the crisis.
‘This has nothing to do with the rise in crude oil,’ he said in an interview on Spanish TV. ‘Some fuel stations are trying to cash in on the situation.’
According to the consumer group, several petrol stations are already charging €2 per litre or more for diesel – a level they say cannot yet be justified by the global oil market.
Facua argues that the fuel currently being sold would have been bought before the latest spike in oil prices and should not yet reflect the increase.
The organisation is now calling on the government to reintroduce emergency powers allowing ministers to cap prices on essential goods during crises.
Those powers were scrapped by Spain’s parliament on February 25 after a decree allowing price limits was voted down by the Popular Party, Vox and Junts.
The measure would have allowed the government to freeze prices based on the average cost during the 30 days before a crisis, in an effort to prevent sudden price spikes.
Facua has now written to both Sanchez and Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy demanding the rule be reinstated so parliament can vote on it again.
The price surge comes as global energy markets react to the escalating conflict involving Iran, which has pushed oil prices higher and sparked fears of further rises at the pump.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Confederation of Service Station Entrepreneurs has suggested cutting fuel taxes temporarily to ease the pressure on drivers.
Figures from the EU’s Oil Bulletin show prices are already creeping up across the board, with petrol averaging €1.486 per litre and diesel at €1.441.
But the latest jump suggests drivers could soon face even higher costs if the Middle East crisis continues to rattle global energy markets.
