Anyone who goes to refuel in Poppel, Ravels or Baarle-Hertog in Belgium would almost think that he is in the Netherlands. At the gas stations there, almost only Dutch people fill their tanks. The price difference is actually no different from normal; about 35 cents per liter Euro 95. But with the amounts appearing on the pumps these days, a lot of people think that is more than worth it. This resulted in a huge crowd: “It’s chaos here.”
A liter of Euro 95 (E10) is nowhere cheaper in Tilburg than 2.32 euros. Many residents of that city know all too well where to find the cheaper gas stations just across the border. That seems like a traffic jam at Van Raak in Poppel, practically on the border.
Van Raak – Poppel
For the price of 1,951 euros for a liter of petrol, the people of Tilburg are willing to take a detour. There is a long queue all afternoon on Thursday. “We always refuel here with the company, we have a fuel card for all ten cars. That makes a huge difference! And then we are even located in Oisterwijk.”
The neighbors of the gas station on the border in Poppel are a bit disappointed. Their exit is continuously blocked by cars that are going to refuel. “Yesterday there was a collision here in the tank traffic, it is sometimes chaos, especially around rush hour and at the weekend.”
Garage Bols – Poppel
About four kilometers away is a car dealership with a gas station. “I’ve been around for quite a few years, but I’ve never experienced this. Not even with the oil crisis in the eighties,” says Bols. With a detour on his property, he prevents traffic jams on the provincial road. “New petrol now has to be delivered every day, normally every other day.”
A woman from Tilburg has been filling up with Bols for a year now. “I drive my tank completely empty and then I fill it up. On forty liters that saves me fifteen euros.” She has to drive about 28 kilometers for it, but that will cost her at most two liters of petrol. So the profit is still more than eleven euros.
Gas station The Children – Ravels
Until Ravels, the petrol prices are the same everywhere on Thursday, but at the De Children gas station a liter of Euro 95 costs you only 1,899 euros. For that you have to drive a modest twelve kilometers from the border with the Netherlands.
Significantly fewer Dutch people come, but a man from Hilvarenbeek benefits as much as possible. “I’ve been filling up here for years and fill two jerry cans. It saves an extra ride and it lasts me two weeks.” This is not allowed at the pumps closer to the border. Transporting fuel has rules. You can take up to 240 liters in jerry cans of maximum 60 liters.
Argos Oil – Ravels
Fourteen kilometers from the border there is a pump that is two cents cheaper than De Kinder and a lot quieter. The Belgian gas station owners are happy with the extra customers from the Netherlands. According to various media, the Belgian government is considering lowering the excise duty or fuel. The petrol price may then be around 1.70 euros in Belgium.
“A death blow for the Dutch gas station owners, but very beneficial for me,” says a Dutch motorist in Ravels. “I suspect it will get crazy here, but it always pays off,” he concludes.
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