The government wanted to lower fuel prices, and it has now been achieved. With the cost price operations of Leclerc, Carrefour and Intermarché, prices at the pump are finally falling by one to two cents on average. But faced with these distributors, independent service stations are unable to compete on price, and are calling on the government for help.

The observation is clear with “78% of the 2,400 independent stations which recorded drops in fuel volume between 10 and 30% in September”, specifies to Figaro Francis Pousse, national president of service stations and new energies of the Mobilians union, which confirms information from Ouest-France. Note that these establishments do not include the 3,400 stations in the Total network.

“We are waiting for a meeting this week with Olivia Grégoire on the subject of compensation and the energy transition assistance plan,” adds Francis Pousse. The latter explained two weeks earlier that these independent stations “are not capable of playing in the big leagues”. They live above all on the diversification of services, with washing or shops. But with fewer customers at the pump, “it will cause turnover to drop,” he explained.