Fuel prices have never been as high as last year. The most expensive liter of petrol cost no less than €2021 in 2,21. Due to the high price level, the differences between the gas stations themselves have never been so high.
As is well known, stations along the highway are more expensive than stations elsewhere, but the differences between regions, municipalities and even stations of the same chain can also be considerable. Looking and comparing pays off for consumers more than ever: a little research or the use of a fuel app saves hundreds of euros per year. This is evident from a test van de Kampioen, which includes the prices of all 3839 gas stations in the Netherlands.
There are increasing price differences between various provinces, between city and village and between the various chains that sell fuel. Groningen was the cheapest province to refuel last year. For motorists who live elsewhere, it can be advantageous to look at the prices at the neighboring municipalities. For example, Amsterdam is the most expensive place to refuel in the Netherlands, while Zaanstad is in the top 10 'cheap'.
Off the highway, road users can often refuel even cheaper, especially at unmanned filling stations. Both diesel and petrol are now on average fourteen cents more expensive per liter than at gas stations outside the highways. In 2019, that difference was still ten cents. Refueling off the highways pays off even more.
The price differences between stations on the highway are striking. The A32 (Drenthe/Friesland) is the 'cheapest' highway for refueling and the A6 (North Holland/Flevoland/Friesland) is on average the most expensive in the Netherlands. Even more striking are the fuel prices between gas stations along the same highway, sometimes even from the same chain. For example, during the period studied at Esso Galgeveld (A27, near Breda) a liter of diesel was 26 cents cheaper per liter than Esso Nijpoort (also A27, near Maartensdijk). That saves € 13 on a tank of fifty liters.
The price difference between the most expensive stations in the Netherlands (four Esso stations and one Texaco station) and the cheapest station (Fieten Olie, Uithuizen/Groningen) was 31 cents per liter of diesel and 34 cents per liter of petrol. The Fieten Olie chain, which is largely represented in the north, is the cheapest with more than 25 stations and BP is the most expensive on average.
The ANWB believes that current fuel prices should be made public so that the price-conscious motorist can choose the cheapest gas station. Motorists often know where they are cheapest close to home, but not on the road or in an unfamiliar environment, according to the ANWB.
Also read: Road authorities busy on Dutch roads every winter
