Petrol: Saving Cents
There is more pain at the petrol pump this past week, prices have risen rapidly by over 10c a litre for Unleaded and more for Diesel and with the uncertainty around how long this instability will last and how quickly barrel prices for oil will fall, we are looking at ways you can save at the pump and also on your commute.
We all know that one way to reduce the cost of a trip is to take public transport but this is not an option for some and also lets be honest, it's not always the most reliable of options, with some journeys requiring change of services or long commutes that are not the most direct. Is it the most cost effective and carbon efficient? Yes. But like we said, sometimes its simply not an option for some people and there are times that you just need you car, you have the school run, work, shopping and pick ups etc all in the one daily commute.
Price Comparison & App Savings
This is where some apps and sites really come in to play. What are the prices of different petrol stations along your route? Some of the same chain can have very different prices within very short distances so having an idea of the prices and your range before you set out can save you cash.
Some sites and apps we have found:
Also using Waze, you can report and view petrol prices, though this might be more accurate in larger metro areas than rural areas. But with all of these, it is always worth looking to see if users in your local area have added data for prices recently. We checked it out here and you can see the display we saw below ⬇️
To get money off at the pump using some of the loyalty schemes can be another way to save up to 6c* per litre.
Circle K - Their app Circle K Extra, works on tiers, the higher your tier, the more you save. So on tier 1 you save 1c per litre tier 2 - 2c and tier 3 - 3c, not a lot put the way prices are going it might be worth it!
Maxol - Their loyalty app doesn't offer any money off but offers some rewards such as coffee and being able to pay in app for fuel than having to go into the shop, so no saving at the pump.
Payzone - The parking app offers those with an account 3c off per litre at all Circle K stations, look in the offers tab and revel your discount to scan at the till for 3c off.
AA Ireland - Their members can get up to 6c off per litre on MilesPlus* fuel at selected Circle K Stations but cannot be used in conjunction with the Circle K Extra Discount. To avail of this offer members should download the app, and in the Rewards menu you will be able to revel your discount.
Applegreen - Their Rewards offer no savings on fuel but offers coffee and car wash loyalty savings like Maxol.
AXA Ireland - AXA Plus members can get up to 3c per litre using their loyalty programme. You will need the email address you used to verify your policy with them.
Certa - There are no savings but you can earn Clubcard points, 1 point per €2 spent. And sometimes they can be slightly cheaper than other services. But this is subjective and you should always check it out where possible. Though do note, these stations are not manned, you typically pay by card at the pump and some stations do have pumps you can pay with notes.
Bord Gais Energy - Their MyRewards also offer 3c off per litre in Circle K stations with your Bord Gais Fuel Card. This is a DD system and you should fully read terms of service and conditions before signing up for any scheme.
What's our take? Circle K offer the best discounts right now, you can earn up to 6c off per litre and with the average family car now costing €100 to fill up, so filling up with 52 litres can potentially save you €3.12, not a lot but its something
Fuel Prices: Taxes, Levies and Components
So what's the breakdown in cost per litre? Where does the almost €2 per litre go? We have this handy table from The AA that shows you the breakdown cost per litre. *Prices valid for Feb 2026.
Wholesale Prices and Market Signals
Prices per barrel of Brent Crude are slargely driven by global market forces. A supply and demand situation. But also Geo-political factors play a huge part in prices. Instability in oil producing regions, such as the current instability in Iran, can have a massive impact on the price. Futures trading also can impact cost, with investors setting prices based on future supply and demand forecasted. And then there are production costs as well. One of the big players is OPEC - The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, they currently are made up of 12 oil producing countries and these 12 countries produce roughly 30% of the global supply. These are UAE, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Venezuela. 2 names that jump out currently experiencing instability are Iran and Venezuela, with Venezuela holding an amazing 18 to 20% of the worlds oil reserves.
So a lot of factors come in to play and Geo Politics are currently having a very big impact on the cost you are seeing at the petrol pump.
Price Gouging Claims, Investigations and Outcomes
The Minister for Enterprise and the CCPC are currently investigating the accusations of price gouging and have promised a swift review that should take no longer than a month to complete. What is the outcome, well no one knows. The Minster has met with representatives from the industry and asked them for their price structures and increases. With one CEO, Kevin McPartlan from Fuels for Ireland describing the meeting as "constructive" and "good".
Source: RTE
The outcome is still to be determined with the investigation ongoing. But there have been calls from TD's and indeed the public for something to be done in terms of reducing Excise Duty which makes up a huge portion of the price at the pump.
So What Else?
Practical measures will be to limit the use of your car if you can, public transport if this is an option. But driving your car there are some steps you can take to keep as full efficient as possible.
Shift Gears Early: Changing to a higher gear early can keep your engine speed low to keep RPM down - ie: 1,500 to 2,500 RPM. So watch your RPM, don't let this get too high before you gear change up. Some modern cars will show you when is the best time to gear change. Try to follow this.
Using Higher Gears: Drive in the highest gear that suits your speed, you can help the engine by not having it struggle.
Tyres: Having tyres that have more than 3mm of thread depth helps you keep traction, lose traction, lose fuel.
Tyre Pressure: Tyres that meet manufacturers recommended levels can help with fuel economy.
Speed & Braking: Driving at a consistent speed can help reduce fuel consumption, gentle acceleration and being mindful of the flow of traffic ahead. Observing the flow up ahead can help you avoid unnecessary braking. Driving over 90KMH increases fuel consumption significantly.
Weight: Reducing the weight in your car can help with fuel economy. Do you need everything that is in your car and boot? Are you just paying to drive it around? Take out what you don't need. Does the bike rack need to be on your car during the week? Do you need the roof box?
Combine Trips: Say you have a lot of small jobs that you would have normally done over a few days, combining these is another way to reduce your car use. Can you drive to one central location and get all these small jobs done in one go and one car trip?
Servicing: Keeping your car well serviced, oil checked and changed and brakes in good working order can really be one of the best things you can do. Not only will you get on top of any small problem and stop it from becoming a large problem you will also ensure you engine is in top condition and that there is no wastage of petrol there.
Hybrid and EV: Many hybrid and EV owners have reduced or eliminated their fuel bills. We have a few articles that explain the engines but simply put, hybrids convert the displaced power of your braking into dynamic charging of the battery which helps boost your cars engine, ie: taking off at lights. And EV's run on the charge you have. For EV's looking at complimentary charging in shopping centres etc can be another way of saving money as energy prices could be impacted by the rise in fuel in the future. So take advantage of free charging with centres such as Dundrum, (app needed) while you do your shopping.
Gerry Caffrey Motors
You can give us a call to arrange a service of your car or if you are thinking of upgrading to a hybrid or EV we can be there to help you out. Call us today on 01 490 1134 or visit us online at www.gerrycaffreymotors.ie