After Israel's attack on Iran: Fueling and heating become more expensive

Munich. Just a few days after Israel's major attack on Iran, people in Germany are already feeling the consequences of the conflict in their wallets. The conflict is causing crude oil prices to rise, which in turn is pushing up the cost of petrol and heating oil.

On Sunday morning at 8:20 a.m., according to figures from the ADAC, a liter of Super E10 cost an average of €1.749 across Germany, and a liter of diesel cost €1.639. At the same time the previous day, prices were just under one cent lower in each case. On Friday, they were even five and six cents lower, respectively, than Saturday's prices.

These are only snapshots. According to the ADAC, the time of day examined is a rather expensive time during the waning morning rush. The daily average was slightly lower in each case: On Saturday, according to the ADAC, a liter of Super E10 cost an average of €1.671, and diesel €1.551. This was 1.3 cents more in each case than on Friday. The daily average for Sunday will not be available until Monday.

According to an analysis by the comparison portal Verivox, 100 liters of heating oil currently costs around €93. In May, the average price was €87 – the lowest price in two years, according to Verivox. The analysis has been obtained by the German Press Agency; the Funke Media Group newspapers first reported it.

Gasoline and diesel prices are subject to significant fluctuations. It's not just the time of day that makes a difference – fuel prices also vary enormously from one location to the next. An overview.

Despite the recent price increase, it could be worthwhile to fill up your tank now, the analysis concludes. Because, like diesel and gasoline, heating oil prices are still low in a long-term comparison. In addition, according to the price comparison portal, in addition to geopolitical uncertainty, rising CO₂ costs could drive prices further up next year.

The average price of just under 87 euros (gross) for 100 liters of heating oil determined in Germany in May results in heating costs of around 1,739 euros for a single-family home with a typical annual consumption of 2,000 liters, according to Verivox.

Israel began attacking Iranian nuclear facilities on Friday. Markets reacted nervously. Crude oil prices rose significantly. Later, reports said major oil and gas fields in Iran were also attacked. A rocket attack also damaged pipelines and transfer lines at an oil facility in Israel.

The potential consequences for consumers of such damage to the energy infrastructure in the oil-rich region are currently difficult to estimate, according to the Fuels and Energy Association (en2x). "Geopolitical events have often had a significant impact on oil prices in the past, as was the case here," an en2x spokesperson said in response to a query. "Since numerous other factors influence pump prices besides the oil price, including international fuel supply and current demand, the impact of such events on end consumers can only be determined afterward."

However, both heating oil and gasoline and diesel remain relatively inexpensive in the long term. According to Verivox, the average price for heating oil was €99 in 2024, €104 in 2023, and even €131 per 100 liters in 2022. So, the current €93 is still a good deal for consumers.

The German Petroleum Industry Association also points out that fuel prices are currently relatively low. While it recorded a similar increase in average daily prices as the ADAC after the Israeli attack on Iran on Friday, it notes that the Thursday before the attack was "the cheapest day of the year to date." Super E10 and diesel are far from their previous annual highs. Diesel reached its record high this year at €1.70 in January, and Super E10 at €1.76 per liter in February.

The ADAC emphasizes that this is still a moderate increase in fuel prices. However, the direction is clear: "The trend will probably continue upward," the ADAC states. "However, we shouldn't overextend this risk and thereby give corporations a clear opportunity to raise prices even more sharply."

RND/dpa