The gasoline price is almost at a record high. The € 1.90 per liter is in sight, making it almost as expensive as at the absolute peak in 2012.
The national recommended price was € 1,891 on Monday, while the absolute record is € 1,895. This is evident from data from UnitedConsumers, which keeps track of current fuel prices for many years. On Tuesday, the suggested retail price at many large gas stations dropped a tiny bit, to just under € 1.89, but it is therefore close to the record. Less than a month ago, the average suggested retail price exceeded € 1.70 per liter, so the increase has been rapid.
The absolute record dates from October 2, 2012. Since then, the national recommended retail price has not been as high as it is now. “It is remarkable that this is happening at a time when less fuel is being used as a result of the corona crisis,” says Paul van Selms of UnitedConsumers.
The main reason for the particularly high gasoline price is the higher oil price in combination with the largely non-existent demand for kerosene. “From every liter of petroleum that is processed, the jet fuel yields less, making the gasoline more expensive,” says Van Selms. “Otherwise refining will no longer pay.”
The Netherlands in the lead
Nowhere in Europe is petrol as expensive as in the Netherlands. The high taxes are mainly responsible for this. More than 1 euro per liter goes to the state treasury through excise duty and VAT. However, discounts are now being given at many petrol stations, so it often pays to check in advance where you can refuel cheaper. Certainly with such prices that cannot hurt.
Since the beginning of this year, the price of petrol has been on the rise. The same applies to diesel, but the price for 1 liter is not that close to the record. Diesel was also at its most expensive in 2012, at € 1,558 per liter, and now costs € 1,519 per liter. Last year it was completely different for a large part of the year. Refueling was remarkably cheap, especially in the spring of 2020, as a result of the pandemic.