In “miracles” at petrol stations in Poland, we can read in the national media. Bolesławiec is no different. For several days, both standard diesel and 95-octane petrol have cost just under PLN 6.
According to quotations from the Polish Chamber of Liquid Fuels, the average prices* per liter of fuel in retail sales in Poland were:
- P95 – PLN 6.09
- ON – PLN 6.07
- LPG – PLN 2.84
* – prices as of September 21, 2023.
Meanwhile, at the Orlen petrol station on Zgorzelecka Street in Bolesławiec, the prices* were as follows:
- P95 – PLN 5.96
- ON – PLN 5.93
- LPG – PLN 2.99
* – prices as of September 23, 2023.
Why do the media describe fuel prices as a “miracle”?
Because since August, fuel in Poland has been getting cheaper despite the zloty weakening against the dollar and crude oil becoming more expensive worldwide. We currently pay several dozen groszy less per liter of fuel than at the end of the summer holidays, even taking into account the holiday discounts in effect at the time. Meanwhile, from August to mid-September, the barrel of crude oil rose by around 10 dollars, while one dollar costs more than 30 groszy more than in August. It is no secret that the price of crude oil and the dollar exchange rate are, apart from the pricing policies of corporations and local competition, the key factors determining fuel prices at stations.
Could this be related to the upcoming elections and the pricing policy of Orlen, Poland’s largest fuel producer and seller? Or did the entry of the MOL corporation onto the Polish market suddenly make competition stronger and prices lower? Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek claims that we have the lowest fuel prices in Europe, made possible by the merger of Orlen and Lotos and long-term contracts for the supply of crude oil, which provide favorable purchase prices. Economists, however, speak of inflation engineering. Lower fuel prices are intended to affect the inflation reading and lead to further interest-rate cuts by the Monetary Policy Council.