The suggested retail price for a liter of petrol rises to the highest level ever. This is evident from data from UnitedConsumers, which tracks the prices of the largest gas stations. You now pay 2,504 euros for a liter of petrol. The diesel price has also risen further.
On Tuesday, motorists still lost 2,500 euros per liter for Euro95 and 2,189 euros for a liter of diesel. Today, the consumer collective amounts to 2,504 euros for a liter of petrol and 2,221 euros for diesel. Experts believe that prices will rise even further.
Fuel prices peaked earlier on March 10. At that time, a liter of petrol cost 2.502 euros and a liter of diesel 2.375 euros. On the first day of April, the petrol price then fell by more than 20 cents again, because on that day the excise duty (a form of tax) on petrol and diesel went down for the rest of this year.
The government wanted to make some concessions with the excise tax reduction, as energy and fuel prices have risen sharply due to the war in Ukraine, among other things. But the oil and gas market has remained very volatile lately, partly due to uncertainty about supplies from Russia and shortages of refining capacity.
3 Euro?
Market expert Paul van Selms of United Consumers says that ‘prices are more likely to rise or stay the same rather than fall again’. According to him, we will have to get used to a new reality. ,,3 euros per litre? I don’t believe in that. In the long run, prices will drop again and hover well above 2 euros. In the past, many people thought prices just above 2 euros were high. I think the conclusion now is that prices were just extremely cheap then.”
The government could intervene again, but that is not obvious. Prices are partly determined by excise duties. In theory, the government could well take a euro off it, but according to Van Selms that is ‘cutting your own flesh’. “We need those gasoline taxes. It’s a matter of making choices.”
Although the prospects are poor, there is one bright spot. Pump operators can deviate from the recommended prices of the major oil companies. In practice, motorists only pay the suggested retail prices along the highway. In other places you usually pay a little less.
Study: high fuel costs lead to more conscious transport choices
Over the past three years, the Dutch have become more aware of the mode of transport they use to travel. This was most often due to high fuel costs, reports the car industry organization RAI Association based on a survey of more than a thousand respondents. Health considerations also contributed to the change, more than the environment and climate.
57 percent of travelers have become more aware of the way they travel. This most often affected private traffic. According to the survey, the Dutch have started cycling more often, have purchased a scooter or motorcycle or have started traveling less. According to Steven van Eijck, chairman of the RAI Association, this speeds up the transition to ‘healthy mobility’.
The climate and the environment were a reason for choosing more conscious travel behavior in 35 percent of the cases, health in almost half of the cases and high fuel costs played a role in almost two thirds of the cases.
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