Gasoline, diesel... Here's where to find the cheapest fuel near you

The start of the school year is approaching, and the good news is that fuel prices are currently relatively low. According to the latest survey by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, with prices set as of August 22, diesel in France averaged €1.5872 per liter, unleaded 95-E10 petrol at €1.6762 per liter, and unleaded 98 at €1.7694 per liter.

A certain calm as fuel prices have experienced strong variations in recent years, as can be seen in the graph below, which traces the evolution of prices since September 2011.

But in a given area, around your home or work for example, there can also be significant price variations from one station to another. But where can you find the cheapest gas?

To help you save money, BFMTV offers "Le plein BFM" (BFM Full Tank). This tool lets you see at a glance the most affordable gas stations near you, based on prices reported by the distributors themselves to the Ministry of the Economy.

On the map below, click on the fuel of your choice—diesel, unleaded 95-E10, or unleaded 98—it lists the three cheapest stations in each department of metropolitan France, among those that updated their prices within the last four days. You can also use the search engine below by typing in the name of your department.

Are none of these stations near your home? You can compare all the prices using the search engine below. Type in the name of your town to see the prices charged by the companies located near you. Please note: some of the readings are old; we specify the date on which each reading was taken in the last column of the table below. Be sure to check this date; the further away it is, the more likely you are to be disappointed when you arrive.

Fuel prices don't just depend on the price per barrel; the calculation is more complex. Crude oil only accounts for about 25% of the prices displayed at gas stations.

Fuel prices include other components such as production and transport costs and, above all, taxation. Production and transport costs , while they depend on the price of a barrel, are also linked to the costs of refining, storage, transport and distribution at service stations.

Added to this are the taxes levied by the State, which represent nearly 60% of the price at the pump. There are two of these: VAT (at 20%) and the Domestic Consumption Tax on Energy Products (TICPE). The amount of the TICPE is set annually and included in the Finance Act, a fixed amount whose proportion decreases when fuel prices increase. We must also not forget the distributors' margins , which will also affect fuel prices at the pump.

A very reduced margin in the large retail chains, which occasionally even practice "at cost price" operations, like Leclerc this Friday 29 and Saturday 30 August . A limited saving for the consumer, however, if we estimate that the margin is around 4 cents per liter, we can indeed expect a reduction of 2 euros on a full tank of 50 liters. Always good to take, but not enough to make a big detour either.