In Italy, Eni is keeping its fuel price cap until the end of 2026, at €1.99/L for petrol and €2.25/L for diesel, and Q8 Italia is extending its own until 31 December 2026. Eni confirmed on 23 October that it was keeping its cap until the end of the year, and Q8 announced its extension on 26 October. The level of the cap may nonetheless be adjusted depending on the market and supply.
Eni keeps its cap until the end of 2026
On 23 October 2026, following an interview given by its CEO Claudio Descalzi to several newspapers, Eni stated that it was maintaining the price cap principle until the end of the year. A company spokesperson specified that the current levels, €2.25 for diesel and €1.99 for petrol, would remain subject to monitoring: Eni will follow market developments, prices and available supply in light of its logistics set-up, in order to adapt the scheme over the period.
The diesel cap changed in early October: it went from €2.19 to €2.25/L, while the petrol cap stayed at €1.99/L. This diesel increase coincides with the end of a 6-cent tax discount, which Eni said it could not absorb.
Q8 Italia extends its cap until 31 December
On 26 October 2026, Q8 Italia announced in a statement the extension until 31 December 2026 of its price cap on petrol and diesel, introduced on 1 October. The company says it is acting in view of the national emergency situation and following requests from the Italian government. The price levels applied by Q8 are not specified in the information published at the time of the announcement.
The announcement follows the meeting, on 23 October in Kuwait City, between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Emir of Kuwait, Mishal al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah. According to Palazzo Chigi sources, Kuwait was then willing to extend the cap applied by Q8 in Italy. The terms and timetable of a possible extension had not been specified at that stage.
A scheme adopted by several brands
Eni's cap started at the end of September, citing geopolitical tensions and limited refining capacity in Europe. It was initially temporary, with a renewal every 30 days. IP (Api-Socar) and Q8 Italia then adopted a cap in turn, so the measure no longer depends on a single brand. With Eni's confirmation and Q8's extension, both caps now run until the end of the year, subject to adjustment of the levels.
Average prices in Italy on 23 October 2026
According to the Fuel Price Observatory of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), average self-service prices on Friday 23 October 2026 are as follows.
| Network | Petrol (€/L) | Diesel (€/L) |
|---|---|---|
| National road network | 2.022 | 2.260 |
| Motorway network | 2.045 | 2.300 |
These averages cover all stations. They are 3.2 cents above Eni's cap for petrol (€2.022 versus €1.99) and 1 cent above for diesel (€2.260 versus €2.25), because the caps are applied by the brands that adopted them and not by the whole network.
Timeline of the price cap in Italy
- 28 September 2026: Eni caps petrol at €1.99 and diesel at €2.19 for 30 days, as we detailed in our article on the Eni and IP network cap.
- 1 October 2026: Q8 Italia introduces its cap.
- Early October 2026: Eni's diesel cap goes from €2.19 to €2.25/L.
- 23 October 2026: Eni confirms its cap until the end of the year; Giorgia Meloni meets the Emir of Kuwait.
- 26 October 2026: Q8 Italia announces the extension of its cap until 31 December.
And in France?
As a benchmark, the average diesel price in France stands at €2.362/L on 26 October 2026, based on our readings across 7,108 stations. The two figures rely on different sources and dates: Italy's is the MIMIT average of 23 October (€2.260/L self-service on the national network). To compare countries, see our comparison of fuel prices in Europe, or the Italian stations listed on the site.