Maria da Graça Carvalho urges fuel savings as consumption rises

Maria da Graça Carvalho, the Environment and Energy Minister, warned on Monday that fuel consumption is rising and called for savings, arguing that support should be directed towards those most in need.

According to Maria da Graça Carvalho, consumption of diesel, petrol and jet fuel is between 4% and 6% higher than in the corresponding months of last year.

Fuel consumption rises in Portugal

In light of this increase, the minister responsible for the environment and energy said Portuguese people should be more aware of how they use fuel and, whenever possible, use public transport.

“Wherever possible, it is important for us to be aware that we should use it only for what is essential, because this is a scarce resource and we need to save it,” Maria da Graça Carvalho said, as quoted by Observador.

The comments were made on Monday during a visit to Soure, in the Coimbra district. The minister acknowledged that not every Portuguese person is able to leave their car at home, particularly those who rely on it to travel to work each day.

The appeal comes at an especially challenging time for motorists. Fuel prices have risen sharply again in recent weeks, with diesel reaching new highs for the second consecutive week:

Support should reach those who need it

Maria da Graça Carvalho said it was important to “save energy in general and fuel in particular”, whether for households, businesses or institutions. She also argued that assistance intended to offset the effects of higher fuel prices should be targeted at those who need it most, rather than provided across the board.

According to the minister, the Government’s policy is to channel part of the additional VAT revenue generated by higher fuel prices into ISP. Alongside this measure, support is available for sectors regarded as more vulnerable or capable of passing increased costs on to the wider economy.

The sectors covered include agriculture, fishing, public and freight transport, and firefighters. The strategy also seeks to safeguard “sound public finances” while ensuring that assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.

“We believe that generalised support would help those who need it and those who do not need it and, at this moment, we must direct it primarily towards those who will need it, who are the most vulnerable and who are those who need their car every day to get to work,” Maria da Graça Carvalho said.

Government guarantees fuel reserves

The minister also assured that the Government is monitoring national fuel reserves and working to guarantee supplies.

In the case of jet fuel, Maria da Graça Carvalho said strategic reserves are currently more than 18% higher than they were a year ago.

However, the minister acknowledged that developments in the international situation remain uncertain, making it necessary to maintain constant vigilance over supplies and prices.