A first response to the rising fuel costs which in recent weeks have been weighing increasingly on Sardinian motorists. Eni has decided to set a maximum price of 1.99 euros per liter for petrol and 2.19 euros for diesel sold through the Enilive network.

The cap will come into effect from Monday, September 28, 2026 and will have an initial duration of 30 days. The company has already foreseen the possibility of extending the measure until the end of the year, depending on market trends and supplies. According to Eni, the new limit is approximately 17 cents per liter below the average levels currently practiced by its network.

Fuel: Eni's cap arrives after weeks of price increases

The decision comes at a particularly delicate phase for the fuel market. On September 26, the excise duty discount on diesel was halved, dropping from 12.2 to 6.1 cents per liter, while pump prices remain at very high levels.

According to data from the Mimit Price Observatory reported by RaiNews, on the national road network, self-service petrol stood at 2.154 euros per liter, while diesel reached 2.338 euros.

Eni attributes the pressure on prices to the contraction of the international supply of refined products and the reduction of European refining capacity. The company presented the price cap as "a new contribution of solidarity to the country, to consumers and to its own clientele".

In Sassari, petrol is above 2.16 euros and diesel is close to 2.36

The measure takes on a particular weight also in Sassari, where rising fuel costs were strongly felt during September.

Surveys based on data communicated to Mimit and updated as of September 26 indicate in the municipality a self-service petrol around 2.16 euros per liter and a self-service diesel close to 2.36 euros.

In the preceding days, we had already analyzed the situation in detail in our in-depth report on rising fuel costs in Sassari, with petrol over 2.16 euros and diesel above 2.34.

The comparison gives an idea of the extent of the measure: compared to current city averages, the Enilive cap is lower by about 17 cents per liter for both petrol and diesel. For a 50-liter refill, the theoretical difference is in the order of over 8 euros.

It should be specified, however, that this is not a generalized discount: the comparison is purely indicative, because the Sassari averages include stations of all brands, while the price cap concerns exclusively fuels marketed by the Enilive network.

Sardinia, a significant measure in a market that is already more expensive

The problem does not only concern Sassari. Regional data from September 22 indicated for Sardinia a self-service average of 2.165 euros per liter for petrol and 2.352 euros for diesel, values slightly higher than the national averages for the same day.

In just three weeks, between August 31 and September 22, diesel on the Island had increased by over 21 cents per liter, while petrol had recorded an increase of almost 14 cents.

For a region where the car remains essential for many daily trips, especially outside the main urban centers, the level reached by fuels continues to represent a heavy expense for families, commuters and businesses.

Will the cap be enough to curb rising fuel costs?

The price cap decided by Eni represents for now a corporate initiative, not a cap imposed on the entire market. Its overall impact will therefore also depend on the evolution of international prices and any decisions by other operators.

For Sassari and for Sardinia, after weeks of price increases, the start of the measure from September 28 represents an element to be followed with attention. The real test will be to understand if the initiative will contribute to exerting downward pressure on the prices practiced by the rest of the distribution network.