Is it still worth filling up with fuel in Livigno? | Updated

When it comes to gasoline prices and fuel increases, it is not uncommon to hear about Livigno and all those small non-customs areas where, in theory, it is more advantageous to buy goods and refuel; but is it still like this?

Free territory

The municipality of Livigno has enjoyed the status of a duty free area for over a hundred years, more precisely since 1910, and is therefore exempt from certain taxes, such as VAT . This status has favored tourism development from the late fifties to the present day.

The origins of the free zone are related to the isolation that Livigno has suffered over the years due to the extremely rigid climatic conditions it has to face every winter; in the 1950s, for example, the Municipality of Livigno was completely devoid of any means of communication with the rest of the world for the entire winter, from the first autumn snowfalls to the thawing of the snows in the following spring. | ); }
Viviana Rishe via Unsplash For these reasons, to support the community, it was decided in common agreement with the County of Bormio to establish a special status for Livigno and all the hamlets that meet after crossing the Pass del Foscagno, where the customs office is located.| ); } The prices of goods sold in Livigno are exempt from VAT; those who visit Livigno find it convenient to buy tobacco, sugar and alcohol, as well as electronic and personal care goods. Purchased goods must remain within precise quantity limits established by customs tables. Refueling is also more advantageous and it is possible, using an approved tank, to overcome the duty-free zone with an additional 10 liters.

Current prices

As mentioned, Livigno represents but more precisely has represented a real and valid help for many motorists (and not) who have been able to benefit from the tax relief. In particular, the price of fuels is not affected by “regular” taxation, as it is not subject to VAT and excise duties; in addition to the starting cost, the only component that needs to be added is represented by "special rights" equal to 0.25 euros per liter for gasoline and 0.155 per liter for diesel.

A saving that, on balance, should be more than clear and marked; but is it still like this? It depends. We went to Livigno on several occasions, more precisely in early July and mid-August, on the occasion of a series of car tests. While in July we found a price close to 1.68 euros per liter, for both petrol and diesel, now the pumps have drastically dropped to 1,518 euros per liter for diesel and 1,445 euros per liter for petrol. No big difference for LPG which from July to August went from € 0.69 per liter to € 0.66 per liter.

How much do you really save?

In concrete terms, with the mid-October prices, to fill up with fuel for a medium-sized car (50 liters), an outlay of about 70 euros (petrol or diesel) is required in Livigno.

In Italy, on the other hand, based on the processing of Quotidiano Energia of the data communicated by the operators to the Mise Price Observatory, updated as of 25 October 2022, the national average price of petrol in served mode is 1.804 euro / liter , while the average price charged for the diesel served is 2.023 euros / liter. The self mode is slightly cheaper with a saving of around 10-15 cents per liter. More specifically, in served mode, about 100 euros are needed here to fill up the same car. In self, however, the amount to spend is approximately 90 euros.

Is this a significant gain? As mentioned, it all depends on where you are, frankly we believe that between time and net savings, going there on purpose is not currently an advantageous choice. Conversely, a touch "in passing" could still help; after all, Livigno is a famous tourist destination and also very close to some of the most fascinating mountain passes in Northern Italy, if you love driving, take a trip.



Federicovecchio.com In the photo, our Hyundai i30N during the “special stage” on the Stelvio Pass; a must for all fans and one step away from Livigno.

Are there charging stations?

For about a year now, Livigno has also been converted to electricity and it is not uncommon to find a Repower column available to motorists. In this regard, it should be noted that the "Little Tibet" rewards those who use green systems and offers free recharging without restrictions. The columns, with universal Type 2 connection, deliver a power of 22 Kilowatts (11 kW in the case of two cars connected). Pay attention only to the streets, many streets in Livigno are ZTL.

Beware of hoaxes

We don't usually report news of this type but nowadays we read more and more often, unfortunately, unsubstantiated content. For some weeks now an alleged image has been circulating on the net concerning a series of bargain prices (1.3 euros per liter) linked to the Municipality of Livigno; no waterfalls is a hoax as reported by Open. The value of 1.3 euros per liter dates back to several months ago, currently, as mentioned, it is close to 1.75 euros per liter depending on the type of fuel chosen.

Alleged "cartel" among distributors

Although filling up with fuel in Livigno or Trepalle seems more advantageous, last March the Antitrust Authority, AGCM, an investigation opened regarding an alleged case of a "cartel" between distributors in the Livigno area.

Since 2012, according to what has been reported, distributors have all applied the same price for both petrol and diesel, despite the fact that in many cases they are affiliated with different oil brands. The suspicions of a possible agreement have increased on the occasion of a suspicious email exchange between some operators in the sector and the former head of the Tax office of the Municipality of Livigno. Furthermore, again according to the AGCM, the alleged agreement may still be active since, on the day of the investigation, last March, a perfect and mathematical parallelism between all the pumps was in fact detectable; the procedure should end on June 30, 2023 and only then will we have the opportunity to understand the real situation.