If you are filling up this week, there is good news: on Tuesday 20 October the maximum prices at Polish petrol stations fell again. This is the third week in which the government has announced a daily ceiling on the price of petrol and diesel.

The new maximum prices

According to the energy minister's notice, these limits apply from 20 October (per litre):

• 95 petrol: PLN 6.79 (previously PLN 6.89, so 10 grosz less),
• 98 petrol: PLN 7.56 (previously PLN 7.68, 12 grosz less),
• Diesel: PLN 7.97 (previously PLN 8.00, 3 grosz less).

These are maximum prices, not fixed ones. A station may sell for less, but not for more.

How the "Lower Fuel Prices" programme works

The package, known in Poland as CPN ("Ceny Paliwa Niżej"), returned on 3 October 2026 and is set to run until 31 December. This is its third round. The first started at the end of March, when oil prices jumped after the outbreak of the US and Israel's war with Iran, and the second was short, from 17 to 31 August.

The programme has three parts:

1. Lower VAT on fuel: 8% instead of 23%.
2. Lower excise duty: cut to the lowest level allowed in the European Union.
3. Maximum prices: every working day the energy minister publishes the limits for the next day in the official gazette (Monitor Polski). Friday's notice covers the whole weekend and Monday.

How is the limit set? The starting point is the average wholesale price at the biggest producers and distributors. Excise duty, the fuel fee and a flat 30 grosz per litre for station costs are added, and VAT comes last. That is why the limit moves up and down with wholesale prices, which depend mainly on oil and the dollar exchange rate.

In earlier rounds of the programme, stations selling above the limit faced fines of up to PLN 1 million, with inspections carried out by the National Revenue Administration (KAS). LPG is not covered by the limits – autogas is sold at normal market prices.

Who pays for it

Lower taxes mean less revenue for the state budget. The government estimates the cost of the whole package at about PLN 5 billion. Part of it is meant to be covered by a new windfall tax on fuel companies: 60% of profits from fuel sales that exceed the historical 2025 margin plus 20%. President Karol Nawrocki signed the law on 1 October, but at the same time referred it to the Constitutional Tribunal.

How much you really save

Take a 50-litre tank of 95 petrol, assuming the station sells at the maximum price:

• Compared with Monday: 50 × PLN 0.10 = PLN 5 less.
• Compared with 10–12 October, when the limit was PLN 6.97: 50 × PLN 0.18 = PLN 9 less.
• Compared with prices without the VAT cut: at 23% VAT the same litre would cost at least about PLN 7.73, and that does not even include the lower excise duty. On a single tank that is a difference of at least about PLN 47.

If you fill up once a week, the VAT cut alone leaves about PLN 190 a month in your pocket.

What happens after 1 January

Nobody knows yet. Finance and economy minister Andrzej Domański has said the decision on a possible extension will be made in December. If the programme ends and VAT goes back to 23%, prices at the pump could jump overnight by as much as one złoty per litre. That is what happened when earlier rounds ended.

What you can do

• Do not overpay on the motorway. The limit is a ceiling. Stations on main routes often stick to it, while in town fuel can be cheaper. Compare prices in fuel price apps.
• Check your receipt. If a station charges more than that day's limit, you can report it to the National Revenue Administration.
• Use LPG? There are no limits, so the differences between stations are the biggest here.
• Plan for January. If you drive a lot, put a higher fuel amount in your January budget – just in case. If the programme is extended, you will simply have money left over.
• Track what you really spend. In Money Trackrr, add your fill-ups in the Transport category. After a month you will see what driving costs you and whether the price cuts are actually noticeable.

By the way: Polish industry surprised

On Tuesday Poland's statistics office (GUS) also published industrial production data for September. Output grew by 4.6% year on year, while economists had expected 3.1%. The strongest growth came from transport equipment (+20.4%), electrical equipment (+15.2%) and electronics (+12.6%). Economists at PKO BP link this to investment in energy, defence and data centres for AI. For ordinary people it is a good sign: strong industry means more stable jobs.

In short

• From 20 October the limit for 95 petrol is PLN 6.79, for 98 PLN 7.56 and for diesel PLN 7.97.
• The CPN programme (lower VAT, lower excise, maximum prices) runs until the end of 2026. The government will decide on an extension in December.
• LPG is not covered by the limits.
• On a single tank, the tax cuts are worth at least about PLN 47. It is worth planning your budget for what happens if prices return to normal in January.

Information material. Prices according to the energy minister's notice for 20 October 2026.

Sources: Bankier.pl / PAP Biznes – limits for 20 October, Money.pl – new fuel prices and the windfall tax, Interia Biznes – history of the CPN programme, Nasza Polska – how the maximum price is calculated, PAP Biznes – limits for 10–12 October, Money.pl – industrial production in September. Photo: Marek Studzinski / Unsplash.