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Why is there a fuel shortage in France?
As we introduced earlier, finding a service station to fill up your car is becoming an almost impossible mission.
According to the government, more than 20 % service stations in France are experiencing supply difficulties.
Some regions, such as those in the north, are coping much more with this crisis, notably Hauts-de-France, where almost 30 % stations in difficulty. What's more, motorists are prepared to travel all the way to Belgium to fill up their tanks, even if they have to do so on their own. fuel is 20 centimes more expensive than in France.
To help motorists in this area, the authorities have asked that the following be put in place priority access for healthcare professionalsThese include medical transport, nurses and doctors.
But what explains this fuel shortage?
On the one hand, this is due to the success TotalEnergies is offering motorists. To counter the soaring fuel prices, from 1 September 2022the oil giant has set up a r20 cent discountin addition to that of the 30 cents extended until 30 December 2022.
A total of 50 centimes off the price of fuel was offered to motorists, and as a result many of them rushed to Total service stations. This commercial gesture caused stock-outs and prompted Total to lower the curtain at its stations.
In addition, many Exxonmobil and TotalEnergies employees have been on strike over pay since 27 September 2022. The unions are calling for a 10 % salary increase.
As a result, 4 of the 6 refineries operated by the TotalEnergie group have been blocked, leading to delays in fuel deliveries.
Is there really a fuel shortage in France?
According to Olivier Véran, the government spokesman, the answer is no. Lower fuel prices are increasing demand from motorists, but "there is no shortage".
No shortage, but temporary supply tensions affecting around 1 in 10 stations.
- Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) October 5, 2022
This is due to strong demand linked to controlled prices, and a strike affecting some refineries.
The Government is continuously monitoring the situation with the operators. pic.twitter.com/jvaUPvKppy
So how do you go about finding available service stations in France?
Now that we know the causes of this crisis, are there any solutions to overcome it?
The answer is yes. In fact, motorists can use a number of platforms to help them find and compare fuel prices at different stations, depending on the type of fuel, the commune or the département. Here are just a few of the mobile applications available on Android and iPhone, such as :
- Wazemoreover according to the platform's director, Jérome Marty, "a 33 % increase in daily sailings". since 27 September 2022 and "a peak of 59 % on 3 October"..
- Gasoil Now
- Essence & Co
- Gaspal
Its applications can be interesting for motorists, as they are collaborative. They are regularly updated by users, as on the penurie.mon-essence.frwhich lists the stations available or not throughout France.
There are also free interactive maps that are updated daily, such as the one on the government website (fuel-prices.gouv.fr). For motorists who prefer TotalEnergies stations, TotalEnergies has also put a map online showing all its stations, not just in France, but all over the world.
Fuel shortages: a way back to electric vehicles?
With everything that's going on at the moment, this fuel "shortage" and these service station closures are perhaps opening the way a little more towards the electric vehicles.
It's true that, at the moment, France is undergoing the worst of the crisis. rise in electricity prices and which are of concern to many (future) motorists who own electric vehicles. To this end tips on how to reduce your electricity consumption and power recharge your electric vehicle in the best possible conditions.
As well as having difficulty filling up with fuel, this crisis raises the question of ecology. As we all know, air pollution has major consequences for our health, since it is one of the causes of death, and also for the environment, with global warming.
To improve air and noise quality, one of the solutions is to switch to electric mobility, using electric cars with low or even 0 CO2 emissions. As Valérie Masson-Delmotte points out, paleoclimatologist and co-chair of IPCC Working Group 1 : "an electric car is 25 times less polluting than a combustion engine car"
To find out more, click here:
In conclusion
So how long will this fuel shortage last? For the moment, the date is still unknown, but Olivia Grégoire, Minister for Small and Medium-sized Enterprisesunderlines "that we will have to import a little more oil, particularly from Belgium". and go "draw on the strategic stock to cover those stations that have no fuel today".. What's more, she adds that this situation will be resolved in a matter of days.
