The organization in defense of consumer rights Facua has detected that 230 gas stations throughout the State raised the price of gasoline on the same day that the government decree to lower its cost came into force. And of these, 18 are in Catalonia. This has been transferred by the association to the’Catalan Competition Authority (ACCO), which in a statement this Wednesday assures that it will investigate the reported facts, determine if there are sufficient indications of the infraction and will initiate, if confirmed, a sanctioning file.
The complaint points to 18 service stations that, as of April 1, applied increases of at least 5 cents on the price of fuel. On that very day, the Royal decree 6/2022 that it was taking urgent measures to respond to the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine. Among them, the obligation for gas stations to pass on to customers a bonus of 20 cents per liter of fuel until June 30. According to the agreed plan, the Government will return 15 of these cents to the gas stations, taking the money from the State’s general budgets.
However, despite what was agreed at the political level, more than 200 of the 5,000 service stations “that updated their prices and communicated them to the Ministry for Ecological Transition on the morning of April 1, they applied increases of 5 cents or more in the prices of diesel,” says Facua in a complaint first transferred to the Ministry of Consumption Yet the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).
“Given the lack of response from Consumer Affairs and the question of whether it will have transferred the facts to the autonomous communities, Facua has chosen to go directly to its consumer protection administrations, which have sanctioning power,” explains the entity. “It is common practice of the General Directorate of Consumption of the Ministry of Alberto Garzon not answering the complaints that the association has been filing since the legislature began and that already affect more than 500 companies,” he criticizes.
Complaints in 13 communities
Facua has filed similar complaints in 12 other regions. According to their data, Andalusia is the community with the highest number of reported gas stations (65), followed by Castilla la Manchawith 46, and the Valencian Communitywhich accumulates 11. As for the 18 of Cataloniahalf are located in Barcelona6 in Tarragona2 in lleida and one in Girona. in the community of Madrid only six gas stations have been reported and in Euskadito one
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In the text, Facua recalls that the decree law in question establishes that “the competent authorities in matters of consumption may sanction unfair commercial practices with consumers or users related to the application of the discount.”
Of the 230 reported service stations, 26 belong to Repsol. In second place, the chain that accumulates the most complaints is EN Fuelswith 12, followed by Farruco SAwith 10. Below Cepsawith eight gas stations, Galp with seven, MaxOil with six and BP with four.