Prices at filling stations now at lowest possible levels – expert

Serhiy Kuyun, Director of Consulting Group A-95, said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

"There is a lot of fuel on the market and the prices are the lowest they can be. Competition is very high," Kuyun said.

The expert noted that after the fuel excise tax increase in September, the price of gasoline and diesel fuel did not increase due to a drop in purchase price. Therefore, after the excise tax increase from January 1, 2025, prices at filling stations will depend on the situation on the world markets.

"If the purchase price falls, we will not feel the excise tax increase again. Even if the purchase price remains stable, the increase will be UAH 1-1.5 per liter, depending on the brand of fuel," Kuyun said.

At the same time, prices for LPG rose by UAH 7 per liter more than expected after the excise tax increase. Kuyun attributes this to the increase in purchase prices.

“The price of LPG is still abnormally high. We expect it to start decreasing in January. Today, UAH 1-2 in the price at the pump is unnecessary,” the expert said.

According to him, the high purchase prices for LPG are due to several European manufacturers going into repair, as well as the embargo on Russian LPG imports in December. Poland, the largest importer of Russian LPG, is now actively looking for alternative suppliers, creating additional demand.

As reported, the advance payment for each filling station introduced on December 1 should not affect fuel prices, as it is not actually a tax increase.