On Friday, the price of diesel in Luxembourg officially surpassed the symbolic threshold of €2 per litre. Just before the latest record increase took effect, many motorists rushed to petrol stations across the country to fill up their tanks.
“It’s better to fill up now while a litre of diesel still costs €1.85 because tomorrow it will already be €2”, 19-year-old Océane told our colleagues from RTL Infos at a petrol station. After hearing about the impending price hike, she quickly drove to the Aral station in Dudelange and mentioned that she planned to return with two other cars later that evening. Like Océane, numerous drivers were queueing at petrol stations on Thursday evening.
On the 20th day of the US-Israeli offensive war against Iran, fuel prices in Luxembourg continue to rise sharply. As of Friday, diesel now costs €2.006 per litre, approaching the all-time record for the most popular fuel in the Grand Duchy. That record – €2.112 per litre – was set on 10 March 2022, shortly after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
Kateline, a 30-year-old parental assistant, said that as soon as she learned of the 15-cent increase, she immediately put her children in the car and headed to the petrol station. Driving a van, she used to fill up for at least €100, but has recently been paying €130, €140, and now €150 for the same amount. With a nervous smile, she kept her eyes on the rising meter at the pump. Kateline depends on her van for multiple daily trips between home and school, transporting eight children in total, including her own three.
Similarly, 52-year-old Carlos noted with some regret that his family relies on their car for daily life and commuting to work.
Although there was no pushing or conflict, the €7.50 increase for a 50-litre tank – caused by the sixth diesel price hike in 20 days – sparked a rush at the petrol stations along Rue de Luxembourg in Dudelange on Thursday evening. As 34-year-old Damien pointed out, an extra 15 cents per litre makes a noticeable difference for his 68-litre tank. From Friday, filling it up costs €136.
Tony, a staff member at one of the stations, observed that customers have seemed slightly stressed in recent days and are mostly wondering when the price increases will stop.
Gabriel, 23, said that aside from taking advantage of the lower price to fill up his Golf 7, he has also adjusted his driving style to be more economical, opting for less sporty gears.
In contrast, 38-year-old Jawed appeared far less concerned. He admitted he had no idea about the latest price rise and had only come to the station because he needed to drive to an airport in Belgium. Jawed explained that he fills up only once a month, so paying around €15 more is not a major issue for him.
