Petrol Prices 2026: Why Driving in Britain Is Becoming a Luxury and Filling Up in Belgium Is the New Normal
Let's be honest: if you've been to the pumps in the last few weeks, you've had a nasty shock. I spoke to a mate of mine over the weekend—a mechanic who swears by his Motor Oil First Price 5w40 Petrol And Diesel 5 L for his old diesel—and he said: "Bas, it's just not normal anymore. I'm here with jerry cans because I work in Belgium, and I'm literally smuggling fuel back into the country." He's not the only one. The petrol price in the Netherlands has skyrocketed in early 2026, and this isn't a temporary blip. This is a structural shift that will determine how we get around in the coming years.
The Perfect Storm: The Hague and Hormuz
What many people don't realise is that we're dealing with a double whammy. Yes, fuel duty has gone up. Since the 1st of January, we've lost the so-called "discount", or rather, it's been partly shifted to public transport. The bottom line is we're now paying 84.47 cents in fuel duty per litre of petrol. But that's only half the story.
The real tensions come from the global market. The blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and the unrest in the Middle East are causing the oil price to surge. Forget the political chatter in The Hague for a moment; this is the raw reality of the oil market. These two factors combined—Low Price Car Modified Fuel Pressure Regulator Fuel Control Valve Petrol Booster or not, your car runs on a fossil fuel that is simply becoming scarcer—have pushed the price up by nearly 6 cents in two weeks. On the 13th of January, a litre had already reached €2.237.
The Belgian Paradise (and the German Problem)
Here's where it gets bizarre. In Belgium, they're just playing it smart. While we're squeezing our drivers dry here in the Netherlands, the Belgians are keeping prices stable. In fact, if you fill up now in the Belgian town of Lommel or Baarle-Hertog, you can sometimes save 30 to 40 cents a litre. For a family with two cars, we're talking hundreds of euros a year. According to my own observations and figures from fuel card providers, the difference can reach up to 62 cents per litre. That's not just taking from Peter to pay Paul; that's taking from your neighbour's wallet.
And what about Germany? That's the pitfall. People think: "Oh, Germany is cheap too." Wrong. Germany is actually increasing its CO2 tax, and with the new auction system for emission rights, petrol is becoming more expensive there too. Aoui good price factory of custom motorcycle carburettors manufacturer compatible Keima petrol motorcycle carburettor with good service or not, you're better off running that motorbike of yours on empty in Belgium than in Germany.
How Politics Is Failing Us
I was there, in The Hague, when those debates were happening. Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Hermans is still trying to spin it: "It could have been worse." Yeah, right, our pumps are the most expensive in Europe! The cabinet had a pot of 1.7 billion to reduce fuel duty, but the ChristianUnion party used a motion to siphon off 448 million euros for buses. Fine if you want to support public transport, but don't then pass the bill onto the commuter who lives in a rural area and doesn't have a tram at their doorstep.
The result? Petrol stations in border towns like Venlo and Enschede might as well shut up shop. I heard from a business owner in Limburg who can't even shift his 1M Colourful Gas Oil Fuel Line Petrol Tube Pipe for Motorcycle Dirt Pit Bike Atv anymore because there isn't a soul coming. They all drive those 10 minutes across the border.
What Does This Mean for Your Wallet?
- Commuters: Expect to pay at least an extra £15 a week if you drive 100 km a day.
- Business Owners: Your fleet is becoming a major cost. Time to look at fuel-efficient engines or plan alternative routes that pass Belgian pumps.
- Mechanics/Hobbyists: If you're tinkering with an old motorbike or car, test drives are getting more expensive. Consider a Fuel Pressure Regulator to optimise your fuel consumption; every little saving helps now.
The Future: This Isn't a Dip, This Is the New Normal
Insiders have confided in me that while inflation is falling, energy is actually becoming more expensive because of this fuel duty hike. Our spending power isn't going to improve. And as long as tensions in the Middle East continue, the oil market will remain volatile. I'll make you this prediction: the petrol price will break the €2.30 barrier this year. And all the politicians are doing is pointing fingers at each other.
My advice? If you live within 20 kilometres of the border, drive on to Belgium. Take those jerry cans with you (safely, of course). And for the techies out there: keep experimenting with your Petrol Booster Applicator or other tuning parts, because we need to squeeze every last drop out of the internal combustion engine while we still can. The government isn't helping us, so we'll have to help ourselves.
Anyway: keep driving, but don't be a mug with your own money. The road is open, the border is close.