Fuel prices in Bulgaria have jumped about 35% over the past year, one of the sharpest rises in Europe, says Yolanta Gavrilova, executive director for Bulgaria at UTA Edenred. In most other European countries, prices have risen roughly 10 percentage points less.

Prices have hit record highs since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, but they're still among the lowest in Europe, Gavrilova says. She expects prices to ease a little once the busy tourist season ends, though a sharp drop back to last year's levels is unlikely.

Fuel can eat up to 40% of a company's running costs, depending on what it does, Gavrilova says. That's why firms need to compare prices at different petrol stations, plan routes more carefully, track how much fuel they use on average, and review their fleets by brand, age, fuel type and consumption.

Transport has been hit hardest. Haulage firms need to renegotiate their prices quickly to stay competitive, Gavrilova says. If large numbers of transport companies go under, shipping costs will rise further, pushing up prices in shops too.

Cutting VAT on fuel, a step some European countries have taken, is only a temporary fix with limited effect, since it doesn't target specific groups of drivers. People without cars gain nothing, while the state loses revenue and the budget deficit can widen.

A lower VAT rate would also do little for haulage firms. Cutting excise duty on the most widely used fuels would help more, but that too hits the budget, Gavrilova notes.

Price caps and caps on profit margins are also short-term fixes. Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Croatia, Romania and Greece have all tried them, with unwanted side effects such as fuel shortages and sharper price jumps once the cap is lifted. Governments should think hard before stepping directly into the market, Gavrilova says.

Support for individual drivers, she argues, should go to clearly defined vulnerable groups rather than being handed out to everyone regardless of need. Helping businesses matters more, and that's better done not through direct market intervention but through lighter red tape, regulatory relief, and funding to renew vehicle fleets, switch to alternative fuels and go electric. Going electric works best for companies that mostly operate in cities.

Fuel cards that work across different retailers' networks don't tie a company to one chain and its prices — they let it shop around and fill up wherever is cheapest, Gavrilova explains. Other perks include negotiated discounts and deferred payment, which helps with managing costs and cash flow. When deliveries are delayed, a certain fuel runs out, or filling stations have restrictions, a wide network of stations gives drivers other options.

The market is changing, and companies are now looking for an all-in-one way to manage their fleets: tracking costs and fuel use, planning better routes, and switching to more efficient vehicles and alternative fuels.

Providers of these cards also offer solutions for electric fleets, both cars and trucks, through large European networks covering many well-known brands. UTA Edenred, owned by German and French shareholders, sells fuel cards accepted across various retailers' networks along with fleet management services.