Most expensive month for fuel costs ever has Dutch drivers changing habits

Petrol and diesel fuel pumps - Credit: - License: DepositPhotos Politics Business Wednesday, 7 October 2026 - 18:40

According to an analysis of new figures from the brokerage platform AutoZoWeg.nl, RDW, and Statistics Netherlands (CBS), September was the most expensive month on record at the pump. In the meantime, two in three motorists, or 68 percent, have changed their driving habits because of the high gasoline prices, according to a new survey from Autoverzekering.nl. More than a third reported leaving their car at home more often, and a nearly equal share are taking fewer trips or are planning them more efficiently.

The highest monthly average for Euro 95, compared to a year ago, was recorded in September at 2.45 euros. A driver of a Volkswagen Polo, for example, spends at least 1,430 euros a year on gasoline at that price. For the average gasoline car, the figure is 1,550 euros - 321 euros more than a year earlier. Diesel drivers pay 688 euros more.

Only 32 percent of those surveyed by Autoverzekering.nl said they still drive as often as prior to prices rising, which is powered by ongoing geopolitical tensions, such as the war in the Middle East. Younger drivers in particular were found to be the most likely to keep using their cars and the least likely to switch to another mode of transportation.

Overall, 34 percent of motorists are replacing car trips with another way of travelling. The largest share, 27 percent, chooses the bicycle. A smaller share prefer to walk, use public transport, or use an e-scooter.

“The results show that motorists are increasingly asking themselves whether they really need the car for a given trip,” said Jean-Paul Würsten, an auto-insurance expert at Autoverzekering.nl. “For short trips, the bicycle is a logical alternative, especially as the cost of driving rises.”

At the end of September the recommended retail price for a liter of gasoline jumped to a new record of 2.727 euros. Before the start of the Middle East war, it was nearly 50 cents cheaper per liter, according to UnitedConsumers.

Reporting by ANP and NL Times