That was probably a shock for the Blick reader reporter – a gasoline price shock. When he wants to refuel his car in Zollikon ZH early on Sunday morning, he hardly believes his eyes: for all fuel at this Socar gas station, 2 francs or more must be paid per liter.
Specifically: A liter of unleaded 95 costs CHF 2.00, Velvet 98 costs CHF 2.10, and diesel CHF 2.04. “The gas station on Zurich’s Gold Coast struck me as expensive earlier,” says the reader reporter, who wants to remain anonymous, to Blick. “But that was a real Halloween horror.” That’s why he preferred to fill his tank elsewhere.
It can also be cheaper
This is still possible at the moment, petrol prices are even cheaper at most other petrol stations, but there are big differences – depending on the provider or region. A rule of thumb: the more urban, the more expensive; in the country, petrol is a little cheaper.
Therefore, it is important to look carefully at the ads. In the country, the liter of unleaded 95 is still available for less than 1.80 francs, in urban areas prices are already approaching the 1.90 franc mark. Even a liter of diesel can cost more than 1.90 francs. Special fuels such as Shell’s V-Power 100 have also cracked the CHF 2 mark in certain places.
Record prices in summer 2008
2 francs per liter of petrol – that was only available once in Switzerland. In the summer of 2008, the price of oil soared to dizzying heights, and a barrel of Brent crude oil cost $ 144, around $ 60 more than today. In July 2008, a liter of fuel therefore cost an average of CHF 2, which is the previous record. Immediately afterwards, prices plummeted and the financial crisis reached its peak with the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
The result: The demand for black gold, the lubricant of the global economy, collapsed, and gasoline prices fell sharply. And today? The oil price has more than doubled within a year. At the moment, the price increase is just taking a break, at $ 84 per barrel. But whether it will stay that way is an open question.
In addition: The reason for the slowed down price increase is not a pleasant one: The fear of a renewed flare-up of the corona pandemic around the globe is dampening the demand for crude oil. Most would probably prefer a few cents more at the pump than increasing corona case numbers. (koh)