The cost of fuel at Swiss pumps has risen since the US and Israel launched airtrikes on Iran on February 28th. How will the prices develop in the short term?
In the first week of March, soon after the war began, Roland Bilang, director of Avenergy, the umbrella organisation for petroleum importers, predicted they will continue to climb in coming days and weeks, possibly reaching 2 francs per litre – up from about 1.60 per litre Unleaded 95.
His forecast was spot-on: Fuel prices are getting increasingly expensive.
Upward price spiral
In an interview with Swiss media, Erich Schwizer, petrol expert at the TCS motoring organisation, said the 2-franc mark could be reached at the pumps as early as the end of this week.
He expects the average price of Unleaded 95 – currently around 1.85 francs at many pumps – to rise to 1.90 francs per litre.
Diesel will reach to 2.20 francs/litre –up from 1.80 francs/litre at the beginning of March.
If petrol prices rise to the level expected by experts, a full tank (about 60 litres) of Unleaded 95 – the most commonly used type of gasoline used in Switzerland – will cost up to 15 francs more than at the end of February.
For diesel, motorists will have to pay up to 25 francs more.
Where can you find the cheapest petrol in Switzerland, and which places to avoid?
Filling up doesn’t cost the same everywhere in Switzerland.
Typically, prices are highest near motorways as well as in (or close to) big cities and tourist regions, so unless it is strictly necessary – for instance, you are running out of fuel)- these locations should be avoided.
Cheapest gasoline, on the other hand, can usually be found at small gas stations in rural areas.
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According to TCS, “The price at the pump is influenced by several criteria such as the location of the station (city or countryside, motorway, border area, isolated regions), the rent of the land where it is located, the salary level in the region in question, and the costs to transport the fuel to this station.”
You can find these stations on the Petrol Price Radar, complied – and regularly updated – by the TCS.
The list features prices at around 3,800 stations across Switzerland, so it is pretty comprehensive.
You can pin your location on the map so you can see where the best deals are in your area.
Keep in mind, however, that these are real-time prices, which can change upwards or downwards by the time your are ready to fuel up.
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Another important point is that a detour to benefit from cheaper fuel at the pump is not always profitable.
TCS points out that a lower price of 5 cents per litre is only worth it for a detour of about 5 km (each way) and for a refuelling of at least 50 litres.
Otherwise, it’s a waste of money.
A side note
Even though higher petrol prices may strain your wallet, know that Swiss drivers are still relatively well off compared to their neighbours.
For instance, in German border towns, gasoline prices are sometimes significantly higher than in Switzerland, fuelling (no pun intended) a phenomenon called ‘petrol tourism.’
For example, the price difference between Konstanz (Germany) and Kreuzlingen (Thurgau, Switzerland) is around 40 cents per litre of Unleaded 95 and about 25 cents for diesel.
