The leaders of the Competition Authority said that the price of fuel in Estonia was higher for a long time compared to other countries.
Evelin Pärn-Lee stated that the price of fuel is determined by the free market and the Competition Authority does not regulate it. The authority investigated the fuel market because people asked why the fuel price in Estonia was always the same.
Pärn-Lee mentioned that during the 2022 energy crisis, prices rose quickly, but falling prices moved slowly. The Competition Authority's analysis did not find any prohibited cooperation between fuel companies.
According to the analysis published in 2024, fuel companies started offering different prices. Pärn-Lee was glad that the Competition Authority was no longer involved in pricing issues.
The analysis showed that fuel station prices became different in the autumn of 2025. Before that, prices were very similar. Pärn-Lee praised fuel stations for changing their behavior.
Graphs showed that after the start of the war in Ukraine, the price of fuel in Estonia without taxes was much higher than in Latvia, Lithuania, or Poland. In September of the previous year, a price war began, and the price in Estonia dropped sharply.
Alan Vaht said that the price of fuel depends on the global market. When the global market price rises, it does not always mean that fuel station prices rise immediately. Similarly, prices do not fall immediately when the global market price falls.
Vaht explained that fuel stations have two options: buy a lot of fuel at once or buy a small amount daily. If fuel is bought daily, the price is paid according to the global market price.
The use of fuel price banks also helps reduce risks. If the price falls, the bank compensates for the difference. If the price rises, the seller must pay the difference back to the bank.
Ülle Tamme from Neste Estonia said that Neste brings 30% of fuel to Estonia. The price is determined when the fuel leaves the terminal.