Petrol prices surge to highest level since 2022

Petrol prices in Denmark have reached their highest level since 2022, DR reports, with the list price for a litre of unleaded 95 petrol briefly exceeding 19 kroner at OK stations in early September.

Diesel is also unusually expensive, at around 18.50 kroner per litre. Petrol rose by 50 øre in a single day on Thursday.

“Fuel prices have completely run away. The diesel price is at its highest this year, while the petrol price is at its highest since 2022,” said Ilyas Dogru, a consumer economist at FDM.

He said the war in the Middle East was helping push prices higher. The long-term prospects for peace were keeping oil prices elevated, while global oil stocks were also very low, he said.

“There is a great deal of infrastructure that has been destroyed, and many stocks that need to be replenished. So even if peace came tomorrow, people should not expect petrol and diesel prices to return immediately to the levels seen before the war,” Dogru said.

For pensioner Lissi Berthelsen, who lives in Foldingbro, 20 kroner per litre is the point at which prices become unaffordable. But she said she had no real alternative to driving because she does not cycle and has no local buses nearby.

“I cannot go shopping without a car. The car is my lifeline,” she said.

Other motorists are also adjusting their habits. Uffe Stenild Larsen from Aalborg paid 17.89 kroner for a litre of 95-octane petrol and said there was little choice but to fill up.

Lucas Rekjær Krogsgaard from Struer said a full tank had long since passed 500 kroner. He now looked for cheaper times and special offers, and was seriously considering switching to an electric car because of its lower running costs.

He also said he might use public transport for longer journeys, such as trips to Copenhagen, but not for everyday travel in western Jutland.

FDM advice for saving fuel

FDM recommends driving at 110 km/h rather than 130 km/h on motorways, which it says can save 20 per cent on fuel.

Drivers can also save around 10 øre per litre by using unmanned petrol stations where possible. Discounts through associations or other schemes may provide additional savings.

For short trips, FDM suggests considering walking or cycling instead of driving.