Petrol at the Tesco station beside the supermarket costs PLN 3.40 per liter. Diesel costs PLN 3.55 per liter, while LPG costs PLN 1.37. These are certainly the lowest prices in Bolesławiec and among the lowest in the region. At the other stations in Bolesławiec, fuel costs more than PLN 4 per liter. The farther west of the city, the more expensive it gets.

Nearby, at the Orlen station, diesel cost 74 groszy more. A liter of 95-octane petrol cost 79 groszy more. The situation is similar at the Amic stations (by the roundabout) and at Shell on Spółdzielcza Street. The Lotos, BP, Circle K and Orlen stations on Zgorzelecka Street charge another 10 groszy more for fuel. Interestingly, the difference in the price of a liter of 95-octane petrol between the cheapest and most expensive station in Bolesławiec is already 89 groszy.

Average fuel prices in Poland (data from April 29, 2020 – Polish Chamber of Liquid Fuels).

Pb95 – PLN 3.76
Diesel – PLN 3.92
LPG – PLN 1.62

In March 2019, we asked the largest fuel producers (the Orlen and Lotos corporations) why prices at fuel stations in Bolesławiec were so high and what influenced their pricing.

We recall the responses from both corporations:

Grupa Lotos:

Thank you very much for sharing your opinion with us regarding fuel prices in the city of Bolesławiec. We greatly value all such feedback, as it enables us to understand how our LOTOS station network is perceived from the perspective of our customers.

In response to your feedback, we would like to inform you that retail fuel prices at stations are set in accordance with the company’s pricing strategy, which is individual for each location.

Pricing policy depends on the specifics of a given micro-market. In a changing environment, it is natural for fuel prices to vary between different stations and in different parts of the country.

PKN Orlen:

We kindly inform you that, when setting its retail pricing policy, PKN ORLEN is guided exclusively by business considerations, macroeconomic conditions, and supply-and-demand relationships.

This means that fuel prices at stations depend largely on independent macroeconomic factors, such as exchange prices for finished fuel products, oil prices, and currency exchange-rate relationships.

In addition to these independent factors, local conditions in which a given facility operates are also significant. These include differences in land prices, station operating and maintenance costs (e.g. wages), as well as differences in sales potential. The station’s immediate competitive environment is also important.

For this reason, prices at individual stations may differ and are adjusted daily in response to changing local and macroeconomic conditions.

We would also like to point out that franchise stations are a separate case; at those stations, pricing decisions are made exclusively by the facility owner.