Automobile club Luxembourg

All European countries are currently experiencing a record rise in fuel prices, but the increase in prices in Luxembourg has been the highest observed for over a year.

According to the European Institute of Statistics, Eurostat, ”in September 2021, Luxembourg recorded the highest year-on-year increase in Europe (+31%)”. In comparison, although fuel prices are higher here, the increases observed in neighbouring countries have been much lower than those in Luxembourg. In Germany, for example, prices increased by ‘only’ 27% between September 2020 and September 2021, while in Belgium they increased by ‘only’ 18% and in France by 17%, according to the study conducted by the European Institute of Statistics.



The experts at the ACL attempted to get a better idea of the price explosion by performing their own calculations based on the prices displayed at the pump from the beginning of the year to October 28^th of this year.
 






The results are clear. Whereas a litre of diesel cost €1.047 last year, this figure has now increased 35.43% to €1.418, making it the largest increase among the most popular fuels. SP95 is now 33.04% more expensive than last year (€1.502 as opposed to €1.129), whereas the price of SP98 has increased by 31.07% (€1.194 on 1^st January 2021 as opposed to €1.565 a year later).

At the same time, the electricity market has also seen a spectacular increase on the wholesale spot market. While electricity distributors were buying electricity at €0.054/kWh at the beginning of the year, by the end of October the wholesale market price was in fact €0.14/kWh. Due to their less immediate nature, these increases have not yet been reflected in the prices ultimately paid by consumers, who are currently paying an average of €0.16/kWh for the time being.

As an example, a motorist driving about 20,000 km with a diesel car consuming about 6 L has to bear an additional cost of €445 compared to last year (€1256 compared to €1701). For the same distance covered with a car running on SP95 and consuming 7 L, the difference is €522 (€1580 and €2102). Moreover, fears of a shortage of the additive "AdBlue" have already multiplied prices by 5 in some countries. This is yet another cost for all users of recent diesel vehicles and for road transport by heavy goods vehicles.


 
It is true that the current crisis in the oil market has played an important role in these increases. But a new rise in fuel prices would only increase inequalities between citizens. For the ACL, individual mobility must remain affordable for the whole population.