Fuel from ‘low cost’ stations is the same as that from large chains

The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) did a study that found that gas from “low cost” gas stations fulfils European standards and is not significantly different in quality from...

November 28, 2025 2 Mins Read

The Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) did a study that found that gas from “low cost” gas stations fulfils European standards and is not significantly different in quality from gas from big chains.

The association has looked at up to seven quality factors at 40 service stations. It shows that the quality of 95-octane petrol and ordinary diesel at the cheapest stations is the same as at the big chains.

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The study looks at the quality of 95-octane petrol by looking at its sulphur, density, vapour pressure, evaporation, final boiling point, and appearance. The examination of normal diesel focused on the following parameters: sulphur, density, flash point, cold filter plugging point, water, % recovered, and appearance.

The OCU report says that none of the samples went over the permitted levels, but some were very close. Also, there was no link between the type of chain (big, medium, or low-cost) and the quality.

The consumer group says that the study’s results show that the variations between fuels “are minimal and have no relation to price.”

Filling a tank you can save 10.50€

The report, on the other hand, makes it clear that there are big variances in pricing. For example, the average price per litre of regular diesel at the service stations we looked at varies a lot depending on the type of chain (October data). It ranges from €1.47 per litre at large stations to €1.38 per litre at medium-sized stations, €1.34 per litre at low-cost stations, and €1.32 per litre at hypermarket stations.

According to OCU calculations, the average savings for a 70-litre diesel refuel are 10.50 euros if you go to a hypermarket petrol station (with automated service) instead of a large chain and 9.10 euros if you go to a “low cost” petrol station.

The savings are about the same for 95-octane petrol. A big chain charged an average of €1.53 per litre, a medium-sized chain charged €1.45 per litre, a low-cost chain charged €1.43 per litre, and a hypermarket charged €1.40 per litre.

If you go to a hypermarket gas station instead of a big chain, you could save an average of 9.10 euros on gas for a 70-litre refill. If you go to a “low cost” gas station, you could save 7 euros.