Price Has Skyrocketed

Diesel in Austria is more expensive than ever!

The price of diesel rose to an all-time high in September.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christof Birbaumer, APA)

The price of diesel in Austria is higher than ever! According to E-Control, the current median price is 2.268 euros per liter. At highway gas stations, the price reaches up to 2.60 euros. The price of gasoline is just slightly below its all-time high. Calls for assistance are growing once again.

The highest median price to date—meaning half of gas stations are cheaper and half are more expensive—was recorded at the end of March, when a liter of diesel cost 2.245 euros. At that time, a liter of gasoline cost 1.91 euros. Premium gasoline remains slightly cheaper than diesel and, as of Wednesday, stands at 1.959 euros per liter—also a record high. It is only 14 cents shy of the record high set in June 2022, according to the ÖAMTC motorists’ club.

War Drives Prices Up
The ongoing war in Iran and further escalation in the Middle East have been driving fuel prices back up for months. Since the start of the war, fuel prices have risen by about 50 cents. In the week before the war in Iran began, diesel cost an average of 1.57 euros and gasoline 1.52 euros per liter.

The last time fuel prices rose this sharply was in early 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At that time, gasoline and diesel also rose by 50 cents from around 1.5 euros within two weeks. At that time, gasoline peaked at around 1.95 euros, and diesel at just under 2.10 euros.

Record High in Germany
For our neighbors, diesel is more expensive than ever before. According to figures from the ADAC, the nationwide daily average price per liter was 2.453 euros, surpassing the previous record set in April.

“Finally, some relief for people”
In light of the price increases, calls for support for drivers and the transportation industry are growing louder once again. At the gas pumps, consumers are facing sky-high prices, while corporations are raking in extraordinary profits, according to Martin Grasslober, an ÖATMC transportation industry expert. “It’s high time to finally provide relief to those who depend on their cars,” he urges. Grasslober also calls once again for an EU-wide excess profits tax on oil companies. This would make it possible to lower the fuel tax and CO2 pricing and reduce cost pressures.

The transportation industry is calling for “measures to prevent the price spiral from continuing upward and to ease the burden on businesses regarding energy costs,” similar to the announced electricity price cap, says Alexander Klacska, chairman of the WKÖ’s Federal Division for Transport and Traffic. In other countries, such as Italy and France, commercial transportation is already receiving relief through rebates.

VCÖ and WWF Call for Reduced Fuel Consumption
The Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) and the WWF, on the other hand, advocate for a reduction in fuel consumption. The VCÖ aims to reduce high diesel consumption through fuel-saving campaigns, a faster transition to electric vehicles—including among transportation companies—and support for employees through a job ticket for public transit. The WWF also calls for better expansion of public transit to reduce dependence on oil in transportation.