Consumers in Portugal saw the prices of liquid fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, rise by 11.1% and those of gas by 7.2% in the last two years, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE). “What most impacted the cost of living of the Portuguese was clearly the energy class, which had a brutal rise in prices”, says Vítor Machado, director of the Products and Services Area at Deco Proteste.

The consumer price index, measured by the INE, reveals that energy products were among those that registered the greatest variation between January 2020 and January this year. According to data analysed by Lusa, in the period considered, the price of gas increased by 7.2%, with electricity increasing by 4.4% and solid fuels increasing by 6.9%.

The values ​​felt by consumers each time they have to fill up their car or pay the electricity and gas bill do not surprise Vítor Machado, who expressed his conviction that this pressure in energy prices will still last, with the current conflict in Eastern Europe putting even more pressure on the markets.