Diesel car owners now paying 20c per litre more than petrol

Fuel prices rising again following a two-month decline in July and August

Average fuel prices are now 4% more than last month.

Irish motorists driving diesel cars are now spending up to 20 cents per litre more than those driving petrol cars, according to the latest fuel price survey from the AA.

The average price for petrol across the country remains at €1.84 per litre, with diesel now at €2.02 per litre, 4% more expensive than last month. Petrol is on average, 11% more expensive than in October 2021, with diesel just under 30% more expensive than in October 2021.

It is thought that a surplus in petrol production and a deficit in diesel production is accounting for the differences in prices.

Rapid inflation this year saw fuel prices in Ireland peak in June with diesel costing 205c per litre and petrol 213.2c. The following two months saw prices fall back with diesel dropping back to 189.8c in August and petrol at 186.9.

However, in September prices began to rise again with diesel up at 195c per litre and petrol at 184c.

Today, it now costs the average motorist with a petrol car €2,210 to fill for the year, €219 more than in October 2021. It costs the average motorist with a diesel car €2,020 to fill it, annually, at current fuel prices, €126 more than in October 2021.

"We have seen quite a spike in the price of diesel in the last month, even though petrol prices have remains largely stagnant over the same period,” said AA Ireland Head of Communications, Paddy Comyn. 

“Sales of diesel cars were very much in the majority from 2008 until quite recently, so these high fuel prices will be affecting large amounts of motorists nationally, at a time when energy prices are rising across the board.”