60 percent more fuel sales on Friday
There was a big run on fuel on Friday, the day before the excise duty increase. Some 60 percent more fuel was sold than normal. Now it is especially very quiet, filling station owners notice. But what is the difference with other countries?
All gas stations have been restocked after last Friday’s rush. On the last day before the excise duty increase, dozens of filling stations ran out of fuel, but according to the NOVE trade association, they managed to fill the pumps again within 24 hours. Last weekend, the first days with more expensive petrol, it was ‘clearly quieter’ than usual at the pump. In any case, NOVE director Erik de Vries saw for himself that the gas stations seemed to be deserted on Saturday. He does not have national sales figures. “But at a gas station where I visit more often, I was now the only one instead of three or four of us. And that image also emerges from the conversations with members.” The Dutch Organization for the Energy Industry has approximately 150 members, who together operate 1,800 of the approximately 4,000 filling stations in the Netherlands.
The days leading up to Friday were already a lot busier, but as expected the peak was on the last day with lower excise duties. It is estimated that about 60 percent more fuel was sold than normal. “And a tank can only be filled once, so it is now quieter. Business drivers are not deterred, they are less price sensitive.” The sector expects that due to the increase in excise duty, by 14 cents per liter for petrol and 10 cents for diesel, many more Dutch people will refuel abroad. In Belgium and Germany petrol is now more than 10 cents per liter cheaper. “That seems to be a bit of a psychological barrier for people to really start taking a different route to fill up.”
Gasoline in Belgium much cheaper
Belgium in particular is now much cheaper, at least if you fill up with petrol. For a liter of petrol you will pay about €1.70 with our southern neighbors, although there are even outliers down to less than €1.60 per litre. In Germany it is a bit more expensive. There you have to count on about €1.78 for a liter of E10 petrol, although here again it can be cheaper locally. Germany is also interesting for diesel drivers in the border region, because a liter of diesel costs around €1.55 per litre. In the Netherlands you currently spend €1.95 per liter for a liter of E10 petrol and roughly €1.65 for a liter of diesel.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl