From Monday, 16 November, the winter specification of diesel fuel applies at Polish stations. It is an annual change resulting from a regulation, not a new type of fuel.
What the regulation says
The requirements are set out in the regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of 26 June 2024 on quality requirements for liquid fuels (Dz.U. 2024 item 1018). The key parameter is the cold filter plugging point (CFPP), meaning the limit below which paraffin crystals can clog the fuel filter and stop the engine.
For standard diesel, the regulation provides for three periods:
- summer, from 16 April to 30 September – CFPP no higher than 0°C,
- transitional, from 1 March to 15 April and from 1 October to 15 November – no higher than -10°C,
- winter, from 16 November to the end of February – no higher than -20°C.
In the 2026/2027 season, the winter period will therefore run until 28 February 2027. A separate category, diesel with improved low-temperature properties, has a CFPP limit of -32°C. The full text of the regulation is available in the Journal of Laws (Dziennik Ustaw).
Petrol and LPG
Winter petrol is due to reach stations from 1 November and remain on sale until the end of February, so the change mainly concerns diesel. In practice, networks prepare in advance, so winter fuel may already be at the pumps before 16 November. In winter, the share of propane in LPG also rises, as it handles low temperatures better.
Do you need to replace the fuel in your tank?
The regulations do not require drivers to empty their tanks or refuel on a specific day. After adding winter diesel to transitional fuel, the mixture does not immediately achieve winter parameters, but transitional fuel is designed for autumn conditions. The obligation applies to sellers, who from 16 November must offer diesel meeting the -20°C requirement.
Prices at the start of the winter period
The change in specification does not introduce a separate fee. Prices at stations remain covered by the CPN programme: on Friday, 13 November, the Minister of Energy announced that from Saturday, 14 to Monday, 16 November inclusive, a litre of 95 petrol may not cost more than PLN 6.02, 98 petrol PLN 6.66, and diesel PLN 7.52. LPG is excluded from the programme. We wrote about the return of price limits when Tusk announced the return of the CPN programme.
