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Euro fuel price shock

Figures released by the RAC Foundation show the UK is only the ninth most expensive country in Europe for petrol

Euro fuel price shock

By Jon Morgan

09th August 2011

If you’re driving to Europe this summer, you may be better off filling up before you set off. That’s because, when it comes to petrol prices, the UK barely scrapes into the top 10 of most expensive countries in Europe. In fact, our current average of 136 pence per litre (ppl) seems cheap when compared to the 155ppl charged in Greece!

The RAC Foundation has found that eight of the 17 Eurozone countries have more expensive petrol than the UK. Its director, Professor Stephen Glaister, said: “Contrary to the myth, the price of unleaded is even more exorbitant on the Continent than here in the UK. Drivers who have petrol-powered cars will need deep pockets when they get off the ferry or out of the Channel Tunnel.”

But it’s a different story for those driving oil-burners. The UK has by far the priciest diesel of any country in the EU, at 141ppl. The only nation to come close is Sweden, but its prices are still four pence cheaper at 137ppl. And the cause of the UK’s sky-high diesel is no mystery.

“The UK is the only nation with the same level of duty for diesel and petrol,” added Glaister. The UK has some of the lowest pre-tax prices of any country, but we pay 82 pence tax on every litre – double the amount paid in Luxembourg.

Top 10 highest fuel prices in Europe

Country Petrol per litre Diesel per litre
Greece £1.55 £1.32
Netherlands £1.54 £1.25
Belgium £1.47 £1.31
France £1.47 £1.30
Italy £1.45 £1.34
Portugal £1.45 £1.29
Finland £1.42 £1.25
Germany £1.40 £1.27
UK £1.36 £1.41
Ireland £1.35 £1.28

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8 Comments

Petrol Prices versus Diesel

When I was in Budapest in May, petrol prices were dearer than diesel, although converting from Forints to Sterling, their fuel has become as expensive as the UK, no matter what you use.
I visit there at least once a year and have noticed that prices for fuel have increased over the last 6 years, so we're not the only drivers who are suffering, as your article states. It's known as the joys of motoring.

By n50pap on 9 August, 2011, 1:50pm

Dirty diesel

It's crazy making diesel cheaper than petrol, just because it has a small CO2 advantage. Diesel doesn't burn as cleanly and releases more nasties into the environment than petrol. Diesel cars need expensive remedial measures like particulate traps to make them acceptable, but I think there will be a swing back to petrol.

Continental fuel prices will seem more expensive just because of the devaluation of Sterling against the Euro that has taken place in recent years. Fuel companies are raising prices as fast as they dare.

By maj2543 on 9 August, 2011, 2:39pm

But...

Let's not forget that the weak pound against the Euro is the main cause of this. A few years ago when it was €1.5 or better to £1 those prices quoted would still be less than the UK. The exchange rate is currently at 1.1 making the prices in Euro more expensive in sterling.

Relatively speaking the prices won't seem as expensive to the domestic buyers in those countries listed.

By entaie on 9 August, 2011, 10:36pm

uk petrol

how come in the uk petrol is cheeper than diesal and the rest of europe it is the other way round .diesal cheaper.when askrd a year ago diesal is more expesive because it has to be fefind more ?

By jono1982 on 10 August, 2011, 12:24pm

REPLY TOO maj2543

Just were have you been in the last decade?.
Dirty Diesel is NO MORE, read up on it before making silly statements. Engines today are very refined/economical in the diesel category, and very much more powerful than petrol engines.

By johnbmwx6 on 11 August, 2011, 9:05am

Energy prices.

There is little doubt that sharply rising energy prices worldwide depleated most working families budgets, causeing defaults to other bills and payments, and contributed substancially to the banking crisis and currently shrinking markets as the percentage of budget for each family becomes less and less to spend on what was previously considered normal. I used to work in the Petro checmical industry, and on lay mans terms I was informed that the thick crude is 'cracked ' at heat splitting the product into by-products including diesel and petrol. Petrol is a spirit which takes more refining and hence is more expensive to produce. Diesel is still an oil by-product, but in percentage terms although it is considerably cheaper to produce, there is less percentage of product per barrel of oil, and being more economical to burn, produces less profits both for the oil producers and their marketing departments. This also applies to the Government who tax it so they achieve the same returns on petrol as well as diesel. If you look at the current European markets, you will see there is a greater reduction in the cost of diesel at the pump, and when calculated on the current exchange rate, the products are relative or cheaper in most countries. Hence we may be slightly misled by the article we are referring to, it needs a calculator to establish exact price differnces between all countries prior to travelling to establish if any savings are to be made and where is the best location to fill the tank up in your vehicle. It is sadly the combined efforts of the Energy companies who see the end in sight, and the loss of vast profits, together with the short sightedness of governments who are charging heavy taxes on a known return which is now bringing the whole world to its knees in many ways. If the markets shrink much more and the GDP returns shrink to unsustainable levels, the whole world will go into the likes of a recession that has never been seen before. there will be no way out, and civil disobedience will get much much worse as people who have no employment or worse find it uneconomical to travel to work for the wages they will recieve, struggle to feed and clothe their families. Cars will be almost a luxury few will eventually be able to afford. The government returns will be even less......

By filz123 on 11 August, 2011, 9:48am

When Gas was priced nicely.

I seem to remember paying around 4 bob ( 20 pence ) a gallon
for petrol back in the mid sixties while I was living in London at the time. Now it works out to over 6 quid a gallon, a 30 fold increase in approx 45 years.
My 67 VW Beetle brand new was 650 pounds that year.
I do hope that everyones wages have gone up the same amount over the same time period otherwise it looks like you are all being hosed.

By mickokeeffe on 15 August, 2011, 1:56am

Lies, damned lies and statistics

I think the producers of this report have made one glaring error at least. In France, the price of fuels is available on the internet and is updated whenever there is a change at http://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr/

This shows that the average price of petrol is about 1.47 EUROS and diesel about 1.30 EUROS, not £1.47 and £1.30.

Has someone simply forgotten to convert to pounds?

And if so, maybe the same is true for other countries too, in which case the UK is far higher up the price ladder than this article suggests.

By jrwales on 17 August, 2011, 3:51pm

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