New caps for Friday

The energy minister set the maximum retail prices for Friday 9 October 2026 at 6.90 zł per litre for Pb95 petrol, 7.77 zł for Pb98 and 7.82 zł for diesel. Thursday's caps were 6.83 zł, 7.71 zł and 7.74 zł, so each fuel rises by between 6 and 8 groszy. Stations that do not respect the caps may be fined up to 1 million zł. The next notice, due on 9 October, will set the caps for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Maximum fuel prices in Poland, Thursday and Friday (zł/l)
Pb95 Thursday6.83Pb95 Friday6.9Pb98 Thursday7.71Pb98 Friday7.77Diesel Thursday7.74Diesel Friday7.82

How the package was restarted

The Ceny Paliwa Niżej (CPN) package returned on the night of 2 to 3 October and is set to run until the end of 2026. The first edition, introduced in late March in response to rising oil prices linked to the war between the United States and Israel with Iran, cut VAT and excise on petrol and diesel. Its excise cut ran until mid-June and the programme until the end of June. A second edition ran from 17 to 31 August without the excise cut. The current restart follows a law that President Karol Nawrocki signed on extraordinary profits of fuel companies, which he also sent to the Constitutional Tribunal for a follow-up review. The levy takes 60% of surplus profits from fuel sales between 1 March 2026 and 31 March 2027. Energy minister Miłosz Motyka said the package could cost about 1.6 bn zł a month and about 5 bn zł by year end, while the tax was originally estimated to raise about 4 bn zł. PKO BP economists argued that the levy would not fully cover the cost of the cut.

CPN fuel package timeline
  1. First day of maximum fuel prices, with Pb95 at 6.16 zł per litre
  2. First CPN edition ends at the end of June, after the excise cut ended in mid-June
  3. Second CPN edition starts without the excise cut
  4. Second CPN edition ends
  5. CPN package restarts after the night of 2 to 3 October
  6. Maximum Pb95 price rises to 6.90 zł per litre

Pump prices and the EU ranking

Polish pump prices fell sharply in the week to 5 October, according to European Commission data. The average Euro 95 price dropped 18%, to 1.52 euro per litre from 1.85 a week earlier. Diesel fell 14.4% to 1.76 euro per litre from 2.06, while LPG and heating oil fell by smaller margins. The Commission's data for 5 October placed Malta lowest in the EU for Pb95 at 1.34 euro per litre, with Poland second at 1.52. On diesel, Malta was lowest at 1.21 euro and Poland second at 1.76. The EU averages were 2.01 euro for Pb95 and 2.15 euro for diesel. Orlen posted on X on 7 October that Poland has the cheapest fuel in the EU, citing e-petrol.pl data that excludes Malta and Cyprus.

Poland pump prices in EUR per litre, EC data (EUR/l)
Euro 95, week before1.85Euro 95, week to 5 Oct1.52Diesel, week before2.06Diesel, week to 5 Oct1.76

Hauliers say the relief is too small

Polish road hauliers argue that support for transport firms is among the lowest in Europe. Dariusz Matulewicz, president of the Zachodniopomorskie Road Hauliers Association, described the aid in blunt terms.

The aid we received is so small that it is practically unnoticeable.

— Dariusz Matulewicz

Transport firms receive only the excise cut to the EU minimum, a relief of 0.29 zł per litre. The association compares this with a net increase of 3.163 zł per litre in fuel prices between January and September 2026. For a truck using about 3,000 litres a month, the net fuel cost difference between January and September is about 9,500 zł, while the excise cut gave at most 870 zł. Matulewicz added:

Everyone can judge whether it is a lot or a little.

— Dariusz Matulewicz

The association also says its letters to the Ministry of Infrastructure about protective measures for hauliers remain unanswered. It argues that, as with any distribution of money, CPN stimulates inflation and pushes prices up in general.