The Government of the Canary Islands (Gobierno de Canarias) is maintaining the 20-cent-per-litre fuel discount on La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera for October, November and December. The measure applies to Super 95 petrol and Gasóleo A and is intended to offset higher prices at the pump on the smaller islands compared with the capital islands Gran Canaria and Tenerife of Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
According to Consejería de Hacienda y Relaciones con la Unión Europea the support is reviewed quarterly and adjusted to changes in price differences. For the current decision, the period from 1 July to 15 September was used as the reference. A threshold applies: if the average price per litre on one of the islands concerned is at least five cents higher than the average for the two capital islands during the reference period, the discount is activated. Depending on the measured price gap, the support can range from five to 30 cents per litre; for the current quarter it is 20 cents.
The minister responsible, Matilde Asián notes that the measure is included in the budgets of the Comunidad Autónoma for 2026. It is time-limited and funded from the regional budget. Continuing it beyond 31 December will require new decisions and allocations. The administration published the legal basis and detailed rules in the Boletín Oficial de Canarias.
The aim of the support is to offset structural additional costs arising from the transport and supply of the smaller islands, which can lead to persistently higher fuel prices. The government argues that quarterly adjustments ensure a targeted response to market fluctuations and changing price gaps between the island groups.
For households and businesses on La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera, the discount directly lowers the price at the pump. At the same time, it increases spending by the autonomous community. Risks include volatile wholesale prices: if market prices rise sharply or the price gap with Gran Canaria and Tenerife narrows, the support may need to be reduced or suspended at the next review. The regional government will decide on any specific adjustments on the basis of the newly calculated average prices and the criteria set out in official notices.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).