Autodiesel volumes fell by 11% to 298 million litres in October 2022 compared to last year, according to the most recent figures by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Clearances of autodiesel – which reflect the duty paid on fuel products when they arrive into the country – were also 8% lower than in October 2019.
Volumes of marked gas oil, also known as green diesel, primarily used for off-road purposes such as agriculture and heating of larger buildings, were 21% lower than in October 2021.
The recorded excise clearances figure for green diesel this year is the lowest for the month of October since the time series began in 2000, according to the CSO.
At 79 million litres, clearances of petrol were 6% lower than in October 2021, and 10% lower than October 2019. Clearances of kerosene, mainly used as a home heating fuel, also fell by 29% in 2022.
“This was the lowest volume of kerosene recorded for the month of October since 2005,” CSO statistician in the environment and climate division, Paul McElvaney commented.
The annual volume of autodiesel was around 3.4 billion litres in 2021, which is an increase of 7% on 2020. Unleaded petrol volumes were 7% higher than in 2020 at 825 million litres last year.
However, the CSO noted that the use of transport fuels such as autodiesel and unleaded petrol are less seasonal than the use of home heating fuels.
“Price changes, exceptionally cold weather, and storage capacity (home heating oil tanks) can all combine to create marked variations in the monthly clearances.
“Levels of activity in the economy and changes in the vehicle fleet composition can affect the volume of clearances of road fuels,” the CSO said.