Fuel prices: the differences between Eni and Socar-Ip discounts and those of the government

The fuel price limits decided by Eni and the cost cuts indicated by Socar-Ip have come into force. And after the first day of validity, which was yesterday, we are wondering what the difference is between the discounts that the Meloni government had achieved in recent months and this new phase. This was also discussed in the 28 September 2026 episode of Numeri, an in-depth analysis by Sky TG24.

The difference between the two measurements

First of all, it is necessary to remember that the discounts wanted by the government - which on diesel still persist until 5 October - were valid on all distributors, who then set their prices with even significant differences. Instead, the discounts mentioned above affect around one distributor in six: there is therefore a large portion of distributors who are not currently involved. Furthermore, who pays these discounts changes: in this case it is in fact a decision taken by individual oil companies, in this case Eni and IP, although this does not mean that the State does not have to give up something.

What is the cost to the state

In fact, if we take into consideration the discount on diesel applied by Eni in the vast majority of its distributors, the company has a lower revenue per liter of 16.4 cents and the State a lower revenue from VAT of 3.6 cents: this happens because if the total price of the good decreases, the revenue from a tax calculated on the percentage of the total cost also decreases.