A pricing display error at a petrol station near Angoulême, in southwestern France, briefly showed unleaded 98 petrol on sale for 1.24 euros a litre, according to a report by TF1info's video newsroom.
Footage from the station showed motorists flocking there in the middle of the night, ready to queue for what looked like a bargain. TF1info said the price was a display mistake rather than a genuine offer.
The episode surfaced as real fuel prices in France sit close to record highs, according to the report, adding to public pressure on the government to cap prices at the pump.
Can fuel prices be capped?
The report asked whether capping fuel prices is possible and what it would cost, without putting a figure on it. It noted that TotalEnergies, the French energy major, has already capped its own pump prices on a voluntary basis. TF1info's question was whether the government could force other fuel retailers to follow suit.
TotalEnergies is one of France's largest companies and a major international oil and gas producer, competing with groups such as Shell and ExxonMobil. Unleaded 98 is a higher-octane grade of petrol sold alongside unleaded 95 at French filling stations and is typically priced above the standard grade. Pump prices in France are also shaped by taxes on fuel, alongside the cost of crude oil and refining.
In a related report referenced by TF1info, the broadcaster also raised the question of why fuel prices are climbing toward record levels even though the price of a barrel of crude oil is not at its own highest point, a gap the segment did not resolve.
The segment was produced by TF1info's video newsroom and aired as part of TF1's evening news bulletin on 9 September 2026, running three minutes and 37 seconds, according to the broadcaster.
