The persistently high oil price makes driving more expensive. The average price for petrol in Switzerland on Wednesday was 2.23 francs per liter, for diesel even 2.35 francs. How to save fuel.
Refueling at the pump is currently becoming more expensive every day.
With the Ukraine war, the prices for petrol and diesel have risen to record highs – and are staying there for the time being. The TCS automobile club reported an average price of 2.23 francs per liter in Switzerland for unleaded 95 petrol on Wednesday. At the beginning of the year it was CHF 1.77, but in March there was a sharp rise (see chart).
Diesel is even more expensive. Here the liter in the TCS statistics on Wednesday cost 2.35 francs, at the beginning of the year it was 1.82 francs. A spokeswoman for the automobile club said prices remained stable at this high level on Thursday.
In Germany he has Traffic club ADAC recently announced that the prices for petrol and diesel are higher than ever. The average daily price for a liter of E10 premium petrol was 2.17 euros on Wednesday. That was almost 35 cents more than at the beginning of the year. A liter of diesel even cost 2.27 euros per liter, which corresponds to a price jump of 51 cents since the beginning of March this year.
Oil price as the main reason
The main reason for the development is the increased prices on the oil market due to the Ukraine war. A barrel of Brent crude cost around $116 on Thursday. That’s about $9 more than in early March. On Monday, the price had temporarily increased to $139. A year ago it was $68.
According to the business association Avenergy Suisse, around 75 percent of the petrol and diesel fuels used in Swiss road traffic are imported as finished products. The rest is made at the Cressier refinery. The development of the oil price consequently has a major impact on the prices at the filling stations.
If you have a car with an internal combustion engine, there are various ways to save fuel.
How can you save on fuel?
- Use regional differences: Fuel costs vary in different regions of Switzerland. According to TCS, petrol and diesel in the Zug-Zurich region, Eastern Switzerland, Graubünden and Lausanne cost 2 to 4 centimes more than the Swiss average. Refueling is cheaper in the Mittelland, Aargau, Bern, Solothurn, Biel, Neuchâtel and in the canton of Schwyz.
In the country there are discounters and garages who calculate differently and attract customers with a cheap petrol price, the automobile club further reports. The neighboring gas stations would have to follow suit. In high-priced areas, however, such providers were mostly absent. The portal shows which gas stations in Switzerland have the cheapest petrol www.benzin-preis.ch check.
- Calculate travel costs when refueling: However, it is usually not worth driving far to fill up cheaply. According to TCS, with a tank filling of 50 liters, a price difference of one centime per liter is canceled out by two additional kilometers.
- Do not refuel at motorway service stations: Motorists usually pay particularly high prices at the petrol stations of motorway service stations. So it’s generally a good idea to fill up at other locations instead and plan longer trips on the Autobahn accordingly.
- Plan refueling correctly: On routes that are driven regularly, such as the way to work, the TCS recommends paying attention to the prices quoted at the petrol stations. You should consistently refuel where it is cheapest. Gas stations in strategically good locations are usually more expensive.
- Drive evenly and with foresight: The German Automobile Club ADAC recommends shifting up gears in good time when driving – around a speed of 2000 revolutions per minute – and maintaining the selected speed at low revs. It only makes sense to switch back when the engine “jerks”. In addition, it is important to use the engine braking effect for as long as possible, since braking costs fuel.
If you are rolling towards a place, you can take your foot off the gas for the last few hundred meters and let the car roll. The TCS also recommends using off-peak times and avoiding driving in traffic jams. You can save a lot of fuel if you stay in the right lane on the freeway and “swim with” the trucks – assuming you’re driving in top gear. It should also be noted that a car at a speed of 110 km/h or 100 km/h consumes less than at 120 km/h.
- Avoid short distances: Comparatively expensive in terms of fuel consumption are short distances. The ADAC advises avoiding this if possible, because a car consumes the most petrol or diesel when the engine is cold.
- Stop the engine when idling: According to the German Automobile Club, an engine burns around 0.5 to 1 liter per hour if you let it run without driving. In addition, you should avoid warming up the engine when stationary – this costs fuel, damages the engine and pollutes the environment.
- Reduce load and remove carrier: The TCS recommends avoiding unnecessary weight in the car, as this also costs fuel. You should also remove roof racks or boxes when they are not needed.
- Switch off electrical devices if possible: Electrical devices such as air conditioning, fans or lighting also need energy. The ADAC points out that this is provided by the generator, which in turn is driven by the combustion engine. Fuel is used indirectly here.
According to the German Automobile Club, depending on the car and technology, air conditioning increases fuel consumption by 0.3 to 1.5 liters per 100 kilometers. With a parking heater, it is 0.2 to 0.5 liters per hour.
- Pay attention to the car tires: According to the TCS, anyone who buys summer tires now can rely on a so-called “eco tire”. In general, it is recommended to pump around 0.3 bar more tire pressure into the tires than specified, as this reduces rolling resistance. It is therefore advisable to check the tire pressure regularly.