'The poor guy in the filling station makes f**k all': Kildare petrol station owner reacts to fuel hike

CONSUMERS across the county are facing substantial fuel price increases as US and Israel’s war on Iran wages on.

There has been accusation in the Dáil that some fuel businesses have been engaged “price gouging” due to sharp increases, although this has been rejected by one local service station owner.

Owner of Conlan Fuel Oils Ltd and Conlan’s Family Store filling station, Adrian Conlan, said that the wholesale price of fuel has gone up by 30c per litre between 9 February and 9 March for filling stations.
“The poor guy in the filling station makes f**k all” from a situation like this," he said.

“Wholesale prices change every night,” he said. “There’s an update – the update sometimes increases, sometimes stays static or decreases, depending on the volatility of supply in the world and demand.

“Oil is a commodity, it’s traded by traders on the stock exchange and they make loads of money when something like this happens."

One heating oil provider in Kildare has ceased its online orders for the moment and could not even provide quotes over the phone due to volatility in prices.

The company also included a message on its automated answering service, noting that staff are currently working under very difficult working circumstances, and asking customers to refrain from “abusive behaviour” towards staff or risk having their call terminated.

Mr Conlan condemned those commenting about price gouging and said that people should take time to research the “margins” that filling stations work under. He included that the government currently takes almost 70 per cent in combined taxes on diesel at the moment.

“It has been proven time and time again that forecourts (filling stations) make little to no profit on fuel,” said Mr Conlan. “We’re the ones that make the least margin.” 

The price of diesel has reached over €2 per litre at some garages in Kildare. According to one fuel comparison website, one filling station in Kildare was selling diesel at a price of 213.90c per litre and 191.90c per litre of petrol on Monday 9 March.

Another filling station in Newbridge was charging 192.80c per litre of diesel and 183.80c per litre of petrol on the same day.

In regards to heating oil, Cheapest Oil Ireland shared that the average price of heating oil in Ireland jumped from €987 on 1 March to €1586.91 on 5 March.

According to the website, as of Monday, 9 March, the average price of heating oil in Kildare is now €1743.17 for 1000 litres which has gone up by almost €200 from averages totalled on Friday, 6 March.

Figures show that prices are ever-growing across Kildare businesses, with companies charging from €850 to €990 per 500 litres of heating oil.

Kildare South TD Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, raised this issue in the Dáil last week and included that one company based in county increased their price for a “fill-up of oil” by €200 overnight.

“There is no question about it, this is price-gouging, pure and simple.” 

She continued: “Families are struggling, and we are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. An increase like this is the difference between heating your home or not.” 

Deputy Ní Raghalliagh then asked the Taoiseach what the government will do to address the “profit-making companies that are hurting ordinary families.” “Will he reconsider an increase in carbon taxes that would make it even more expensive for people to heat their homes next year?” she offered.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin responded to Deputy Ní Raghallaigh’s concerns and assured that Minister Darragh O’Brien has met with companies on this issue.

He included that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is currently investigating the market from wholesale to retail prices, and Minister Peter Burke is dealing with the matter with the competition authority to clarify the situation.