April Fuel Prices Increase

The AA Ireland’s latest monthly Fuel Price Survey has shown a surge in petrol and diesel prices over the last few weeks after a decrease was reported in March. These are the highest prices reported in 2024 with almost a 13c increase in petrol and 9c increase in diesel since January 2024.

Jennifer Kilduff, Head of Marketing & PR for the AA (Ireland), said “Unfortunately, and as expected the decrease we saw in March, underpinned by the border counties reducing their prices was short-lived. The first re-instatement of excise duty which came into effect on April 1st has now been reflected in pump prices reported across most of the country in April.”

Excise is a duty that is added to the sale of mineral oils, cigarettes and alcohol. It is a fixed amount which is charged per litre and does not change as the price fluctuates, retailers have no choice but to add this on at the pump as it is a legal requirement.

Ms Kilduff said, “The government will fully restore the excise duty rates on the 1st of August with a final increase of 4c on petrol and 3c on Diesel, a carbon tax is also expected in October so we expect prices at the pump to increase further later in the year as a result”.

Electric Vehicle fuelling costs this month remains relatively steady with a marginal increase of €1 per year meaning EV owners can expect to pay circa €926 per year compared to last month's €925 to cover the national average of 17,000km per year. 

Kilduff added “With rising costs of fuel and the cost of living in general, it is important that customers consider all options when deciding to keep or change their current vehicle. Whether driving an internal combustion engine or an EV, drivers should review their driving habits, reducing speed, keeping their vehicle well maintained and regularly checking tyre pressure are just some things motorists can do to save on fuel. An experiment carried out by The AA showed that by reducing your speed on the motorway from 120km/h to 100km/h could reduce your fuel bill by up to 29%. This would not only save money but more importantly, reducing speed could save lives.”