---
title: "Portugal's Energy Minister Asks Drivers to Save Fuel as Diesel Hits a Record: What It Means for You"
description: "On 21 September 2026 Portugal's energy minister asked people to use fuel only for what is essential. There is no rationing and no declared shortage; diesel is at a record €2.22 a litre. What drivers, car-hire visitors and flyers should expect."
url: "https://ultimateportugal.com/posts/portugal-fuel-appeal-record-diesel-september-2026"
author: "Rex McIntosh"
author_role: "Founder & Editor, Ultimate Portugal"
author_url: "https://ultimateportugal.com/authors/rex-mcintosh"
publisher: "Ultimate Portugal"
license: "Free to read and quote with attribution to Ultimate Portugal."
review_status: "dated-report"
type: "news"
published: 2026-09-22
updated: 2026-09-22
facts_last_verified: 2026-09-22
category: "Transport"
tags: ["fuel", "diesel", "petrol", "driving", "car hire", "cost of living", "ISP", "energy", "flights", "TAP"]
---

# Portugal's Energy Minister Asks Drivers to Save Fuel as Diesel Hits a Record: What It Means for You

> Dated report. This article describes events and rules at the time reported. It is not maintained as current guidance. Review policy: https://ultimateportugal.com/corrections

## The short answer

On 21 September 2026, Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho asked people in Portugal to use fuel "only for what is essential" and to take public transport where they can, because consumption of diesel, petrol and jet fuel is running 4–6% above the same months last year. That is an appeal, not a restriction: no rationing has been announced, no shortage has been declared, and the country holds more than 18% more strategic jet-fuel reserves than a year ago. What has changed is the price. From Monday 21 September diesel averages around €2.22 a litre, a record, and petrol around €2.12, with the government's weekly ISP tax discount worth about 10.9 cents a litre on diesel and 7.4 cents on petrol already built in. Support beyond that goes to farmers, fishermen, hauliers, public transport and firefighters, not to households. If you drive here, budget for a full tank costing more than it ever has; if you are hiring a car, the fuel line of your trip budget is the one to revisit; if you are flying in, expect fares to carry higher jet-fuel costs. Nothing you do at the pump changes.

> Published 2026-09-22. News posts describe the rules as they stood on that date; the sources at the end are the primary record.

Portugal's energy minister has asked everyone in the country to use fuel only for what is essential. She has not rationed anything, and nobody has declared a shortage. What is real is the price: from Monday 21 September 2026, diesel costs more than it ever has.

On 21 September, speaking in Soure in the Coimbra district, Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho said consumption of diesel, petrol and jet fuel is running **4–6% above** the same months last year. Her request was plain: as far as possible, use fuel only for what is essential, "because we face a resource that is scarce and that we need to save", and take public transport where that is an option. She added that saving energy is also a matter of "personal management" by every company and institution.

That is the whole of the measure. It is an appeal.

## Is there a fuel shortage in Portugal?

No. It is worth being exact about what was and was not said.

The minister did not announce rationing, purchase limits, or a supply emergency. She said the opposite about stocks: Portugal holds **more than 18% more strategic jet-fuel reserves** than it did at this time last year. She also described the government's diplomacy with its main suppliers, Algeria, Brazil, Nigeria and the United States, including a coming visit from Algeria's energy minister.

"Scarce" in her sentence is about the world market, not the pumps in Portugal. The decree that sets this week's fuel tax, *Portaria n.º 432-A/2026/1* of 18 September, gives the government's own explanation: an extraordinary rise in fuel prices caused by the geopolitical and military crisis in the Middle East, "in a context of high uncertainty". Reporting since the summer has named the two mechanisms behind that: disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and tight refining capacity in Europe that squeezes diesel in particular.

So the picture for a driver is not an empty forecourt. It is a full forecourt at a record price, and a government asking you to buy less of it.

## What does fuel cost this week?

Averages for the week of 21 to 27 September 2026, from DGEG data reported on 18 September:

| Fuel | This week (approx.) | Previous record |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simple diesel | **€2.22 a litre** | €2.157, the week of 14–20 September 2026 |
| Simple 95 petrol | **€2.12 a litre** | €2.188, on 8 June 2022 |

The diesel figure is a new all-time high; petrol is a few cents short of its 2022 peak. Both rose again on Monday, by about 6 cents on diesel and 5 cents on petrol depending on the brand. Since the government's tax support began in March, diesel has climbed roughly **52 cents** a litre and petrol about **23 cents**.

Those are national averages, and prices vary by station and region: the official [DGEG price portal](https://precoscombustiveis.dgeg.gov.pt/) lists every station's current price, so check the one near you rather than trusting a headline. And in early September Portugal was already the third most expensive country in Europe for petrol, behind France and Denmark, which is why the 7 September horn protests on the 25 de Abril bridge and the go-slow towards the Sines refinery happened at all. The energy regulator ERSE looked for evidence that operators were profiteering and found none.

For a resident who drives to work, the sum is not subtle: a **50-litre tank of diesel is now around €111**. That figure is our arithmetic from the weekly average, not DGEG's.

## Does the government's discount reach you?

Yes and no, and the distinction matters.

**The ISP discount reaches you automatically**, because it is built into the pump price before you see it. The ISP (*imposto sobre os produtos petrolíferos*, the fuel tax) is reset every week by decree. For the week starting 21 September, *Portaria n.º 432-A/2026/1* fixes the mainland rate at **€252.78 per 1,000 litres on road diesel** and **€423.30 on unleaded petrol**, after "temporary and extraordinary" discounts of **€108.82 and €74.22 per 1,000 litres**, roughly 10.9 and 7.4 cents a litre. The rule behind the discount is mechanical: when the price runs more than 10 cents above the week of 2 to 6 March, the state hands back the extra VAT it collects on the higher price. It is a rebate of a windfall, not a cut in the tax itself, and it moves every Monday.

**The support packages do not reach you.** The minister was explicit that help should be "channelled to those who need it", and she listed who that is: agriculture, fishing, public transport, freight hauliers and firefighters. Households and private drivers are not on the list.

**A bigger cut is a proposal, not a rule.** On 8 May parliament passed a resolution recommending the government cut ISP by at least 20 cents a litre on diesel and 23 on petrol. It has not been implemented, and on 22 September Iniciativa Liberal tabled a new motion demanding that it be. A parliamentary resolution recommends; it does not oblige. Until a decree says otherwise, the weekly windfall rebate is the only relief there is.

## What does this mean if you drive, hire a car or fly?

**If you live here and drive.** Nothing about your right to buy fuel has changed. Your fuel line has: if you commute by car on diesel, a tank costs more than it ever has, and the minister's appeal to switch to public transport is the cheapest advice in this post if a bus or train exists on your route. The transport allowance in our [cost of living in Portugal](https://ultimateportugal.com/guides/cost-of-living-portugal) guide is an editorial range that already includes fuel; at these prices a heavy driver should assume the top of it.

**If you are visiting and hiring a car.** The advice in our [getting around Portugal](https://ultimateportugal.com/guides/getting-around-portugal) guide stands, and one line in it matters more this month: take the **full-to-full** fuel policy and fill up yourself at a station you chose, rather than paying whatever the rental company's refuelling rate is this month. Budget the fuel for an Algarve or Alentejo road trip at €2.20 a litre, not at whatever figure a two-year-old travel post gave you, and use the DGEG portal to find a cheaper station off the motorway.

**If you are flying in.** Jet fuel is up **76% since mid-June**, on Platts data. TAP paid **€370.2 million** for fuel in the second quarter, 52.4% more than a year earlier and almost half its operating costs, and it has hedged only half of what it needs, less than the big European groups. The airline says it is already adjusting fares for tickets issued from March 2026 "where market and demand conditions allow". Read that as fares that rise where the flight is full and hold where it is not, and book the busy dates early.

**If you are planning a move.** File this under running costs, not under whether to come. A fuel price is not a reason to choose a country, but it is a reason to choose a neighbourhood with a train station, and to look hard at whether the car you were going to ship is a car you need.

## What should you do next?

- Working out whether you need a car at all? [Getting around Portugal](https://ultimateportugal.com/guides/getting-around-portugal) sets out where trains and coaches do the job and where a car is close to essential.
- Building a monthly budget? [Cost of living in Portugal](https://ultimateportugal.com/guides/cost-of-living-portugal) has the transport line this post is talking about, with the rest of the household alongside it.
- Deciding between the two big cities partly on commute? [Porto vs Lisbon](https://ultimateportugal.com/guides/porto-vs-lisbon) compares getting around each city, monthly pass included.

*Fuel prices and the ISP rate change every week, and support measures change with them — check today's price at a specific station on the [DGEG portal](https://precoscombustiveis.dgeg.gov.pt/) and the current decree in the Diário da República before you plan around any figure here. This is general information, not financial advice.*

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there fuel rationing in Portugal?

No. On 21 September 2026 the energy minister asked people to use fuel only for what is essential and to prefer public transport where possible, and called fuel a scarce resource that needs saving. She did not announce rationing, purchase limits or a shortage, and no such measure exists. The appeal is about supply pressure and price, not empty pumps.

### How much does fuel cost in Portugal right now?

For the week of 21 to 27 September 2026, simple diesel averages around €2.22 a litre and 95 petrol around €2.12, based on DGEG data reported on 18 September. The diesel figure is a record, above the previous week's €2.157. The petrol record of €2.188 was set on 8 June 2022. Prices vary by station; the official DGEG portal lists every station's current price.

### Does the government's fuel tax discount apply to me?

Yes, automatically, because it is built into the pump price. Under Portaria n.º 432-A/2026/1 the ISP (fuel tax) discount for the week starting 21 September is 108.82 euros per 1,000 litres on diesel and 74.22 on petrol, roughly 10.9 and 7.4 cents a litre. It is recalculated every week and it hands back only the extra VAT the state collects when prices rise. The separate support packages go to specific sectors, not to private drivers.

## Sources

- [Ministra da Energia alerta que consumo de combustíveis está a subir e apela à poupança — ECO](https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/09/21/ministra-da-energia-diz-que-consumo-de-combustiveis-esta-a-subir-e-apela-a-poupanca/) — The 21 September 2026 statement in Soure: consumption of diesel, petrol and jet fuel up 4–6% on the same months last year, the appeal to use fuel only for what is essential and to take public transport, strategic jet-fuel reserves more than 18% above a year ago, the ISP mechanism returning VAT gains, and support directed at agriculture, fishing, public transport, freight and firefighters. Portuguese quotes rendered in English are our translation.
- [Ministra do Ambiente diz que consumo de combustíveis aumentou e apela à poupança — Diário de Coimbra (Lusa)](https://www.diariocoimbra.pt/2026/09/21/ministra-do-ambiente-diz-que-consumo-de-combustiveis-aumentou-e-apela-a-poupanca/) — The Lusa wire text of the same statement, with the minister's words in Portuguese, including that fuel is 'um bem que é escasso e que precisamos de poupar'. Neither report records any mention of rationing or a shortage. Our translation.
- [Portaria n.º 432-A/2026/1, de 18 de setembro — Diário da República](https://files.diariodarepublica.pt/1s/2026/09/18202/0000200003.pdf) — The decree fixing mainland ISP unit rates for the week starting 21 September 2026: €423.30 per 1,000 litres on unleaded petrol and €252.78 on road diesel, after temporary extraordinary discounts of €74.22 and €108.82 per 1,000 litres. It sets out the mechanism (a discount equal to the extra VAT revenue, triggered when the price is more than 10 cents above the week of 2–6 March) and names the geopolitical and military crisis in the Middle East as the cause of the price rise.
- [Novo recorde. Gasóleo nunca esteve tão caro — Razão Automóvel](https://www.razaoautomovel.com/noticias/preco-combustiveis-semana-39-2026/) — Week 21–27 September 2026 averages from DGEG data of 18 September: simple diesel €2.221 a litre and simple petrol €2.118, against a previous diesel record of €2.157 the week before and a petrol record of €2.188 on 8 June 2022, plus the ISP discount figures.
- [Gasóleo e gasolina com subidas quase idênticas. Diesel dispara para novos máximos na próxima semana — ECO](https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/09/18/%e2%9b%bdgasoleo-e-gasolina-com-subidas-quase-identicas-diesel-dispara-para-novos-maximos-na-proxima-semana/) — ECO's 18 September forecast for the same week: diesel around €2.217 and petrol around €2.122, and the cumulative rise since the ISP support began, 52.2 cents on diesel and 23.4 cents on petrol.
- [Record fuel price rise sparks honking protests in Portugal amid public anger — Euronews](https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/09/07/record-fuel-price-rise-sparks-protests-in-portugal) — Context from 7 September 2026: Portugal third for petrol prices in Europe behind France and Denmark, the horn protests on the 25 de Abril bridge and the go-slow to the Sines refinery, ERSE's finding of no evidence of operator profiteering, and the two causes named, disruption at the Strait of Hormuz and tight European refining capacity for diesel.
- [Rising jet fuel prices leave TAP more exposed than larger European rivals — ECO News](https://econews.pt/2026/09/21/rising-jet-fuel-prices-leave-tap-more-exposed-than-larger-european-rivals/) — Jet fuel up 76% since mid-June 2026 on Platts data, TAP's second-quarter fuel bill up 52.4% to €370.2 million, 48% of operating costs, only half of its needs hedged, and the airline's statement that it is adjusting fares for tickets issued from March 2026 where market and demand conditions allow.
- [IL pressiona Governo a baixar imposto sobre os combustíveis — Observador](https://observador.pt/2026/09/22/il-pressiona-governo-a-cumprir-recomendacao-aprovada-em-maio-pelo-parlamento-para-reduzir-isp/) — The 22 September 2026 parliamentary push: the 8 May resolution recommending ISP cuts of at least 20 cents a litre on diesel and 23 on petrol, which the government has not implemented. A recommendation, not law. Our translation.
- [Preços dos Combustíveis Online — DGEG](https://precoscombustiveis.dgeg.gov.pt/) — The official station-by-station price portal run by the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology, the place to check today's price before you fill up.

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