The government held a telephone session on August 24, adopting two key regulations that directly affect fuel prices. As of Tuesday, August 25, fuel prices have risen for the third consecutive week, while reduced excise duties are only valid until August 31.
New prices from August 25, 2026
As of Tuesday, August 25, new maximum retail fuel prices came into effect. The regulation (NN 93/2026) brings price increases for all fuel types for the third week in a row:
- Eurosuper 95: €1.66/l ▲ +€0.03
- Eurodiesel: €1.86/l ▲ +€0.06
- Blue diesel: €1.32/l ▲ +€0.05
- LPG (tanks): €1.27/kg ▲ +€0.03
- LPG (bottles): €1.85/kg ▲ +€0.04
According to the government’s explanation, energy company premiums (margins) remained at the same level as the previous period. This means the price increase is exclusively due to oil price movements on global exchanges.
Excise duties extended — but only until August 31
Alongside the price regulation, the government also adopted the Regulation amending excise duties on energy (NN 93/2026), extending the reduced excise duty rates on fuel.
Current excise duty rates:
- Unleaded petrol: €422.31/1000 l (≈ €0.42/l)
- Diesel fuel: €330.00/1000 l (≈ €0.33/l)
Important detail: these reduced rates apply only until August 31, 2026 — just 4 more days.
What would prices be without government intervention?
The government also published hypothetical prices that would apply without premium caps and reduced excise duties:
- Petrol: €1.81/l (instead of €1.66/l)
- Diesel: €2.07/l (instead of €1.86/l)
- Blue diesel: €1.41/l (instead of €1.32/l)
- LPG tanks: €1.38/kg (instead of €1.27/kg)
- LPG bottles: €2.09/kg (instead of €1.85/kg)
In other words, the government is currently keeping pump prices approximately 15 to 21 cents per liter lower than they would be on the open market.
What happens after September 1?
The million-euro question — will the government extend the reduced excise duties beyond August 31?
Past practice shows that the excise duty regulation has been renewed week by week, or month by month, since 2022. However, each time the deadline is short — often just a week or two — creating legal uncertainty and making planning difficult.
Given the continued rise in oil prices on global markets (due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East), the pressure on the state budget is increasing. Reducing excise duties means less revenue for the budget — it is estimated that every cent of excise reduction on diesel costs the state about €2-3 million per month.
Practical tip
If your tank isn’t near empty, it might be wise to wait for the new regulation announcement at the end of this week or early next week. If the government does not extend the reduced excise duties, prices could jump by 7-9 cents per liter overnight.
But if history teaches us anything, the government will likely extend the measure again — at least as long as oil prices remain high and elections are somewhere on the horizon. 😉
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an official forecast. Fuel prices depend on global oil price movements, USD/EUR exchange rates, and decisions by the Government of the Republic of Croatia.