Tirol authorities inspect petrol stations over price differences
Thursday 8th October 2026 on 20:30 in
Austria
District authorities in Tirol have begun checking petrol stations after the state government cited unexplained price differences across the region. The inspections, which ORF reported on Thursday, follow a request by the Tirol government to the federal ministry responsible for the issue.
Teams from all of Tirol’s district authorities will check selected stations several times through the end of November, at different times and on different days. They will compare prices displayed on signs and at pumps with those recorded in E-Control’s electronic system.
Under the law, stations may raise prices only once a day, at noon, but may lower them more often. Any price changes must be reported to E-Control immediately. Tirol says the checks will establish whether reported prices match those charged at the pump.
State Governor Anton Mattle said recent price data showed a clear west-to-east divide as well as large, mostly unexplained differences within Tirol. The state has recorded the country’s highest average prices for diesel and Super 95 petrol in recent weeks and months. Mattle said the findings raised concerns about unequal treatment compared with eastern states and other unexplained effects in Tirol’s fuel market.
The state expects an initial report from the district authorities early next week. If inspectors identify irregularities, the government says it will pursue administrative penalty proceedings. Mattle said the aim was to ensure the market functioned properly through clear rules and consistent enforcement.
Federal and state officials are also considering whether stations should be legally required to pass on price cuts at the pump immediately, as they must already do with price increases. The states’ finance officials are due to meet on Friday to discuss the proposal.
A first survey by the Chamber of Labour found that the federal government’s 12-cent fuel price brake had lowered prices in Tirol slightly more than the national average. Diesel fell by an average of 12.5 cents per litre in Tirol, compared with 10.5 cents nationwide. Super 95 petrol was an average of 12 cents per litre cheaper in Tirol. The reductions varied within the state: average prices fell by 15 cents in Lienz and 10 cents in Innsbruck-Land.