CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PROF. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

World / Europe

Greece steps in with fuel subsidies to shield consumers from soaring energy costs

Published: 01 Oct 2026 - 04:00 am | Last Updated: 30 Sep 2026 - 08:03 pm
This photograph shows a digital board displaying fuel prices near a filling station in Athens on September 30, 2026. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)

This photograph shows a digital board displaying fuel prices near a filling station in Athens on September 30, 2026. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)

Xinhua

Athens: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a new package of measures aimed at easing the financial burden on households and businesses facing elevated energy costs.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Mitsotakis said the government would raise the diesel subsidy from 10 euro cents (11 U.S. cents) to 15 euro cents (17 U.S. cents) per liter for the first 15 days of October. Combined with discounts offered by refiners, the total reduction will be 20 euro cents (23 U.S. cents) per liter.

"We don't need another national crisis on top of a global one," Mitsotakis said, adding that the measures would be reviewed every 15 days according to the latest developments.

Meanwhile, Mitsotakis said the government would seek to keep prices for heating oil below 1.75 euros (1.99 U.S. dollars) per liter, the level at which the previous heating season ended.

Details are expected before Oct. 15, when heating oil sales are scheduled to begin.

According to Greek newspaper Ta Nea, the national average price of unleaded 95 gasoline stood at 2.207 euros (2.50 dollars) per liter on Sept. 29, while diesel averaged 2.214 euros (2.51 dollars) per liter, representing increases of about 26 percent and 42 percent respectively since Feb. 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.