Eco-driving when diesel costs €2 a litre
Forecourt diesel is up 20% since January, ending April at €2. Here’s a refresh of our 2022 blog, with the four wins worth chasing in 2026.
Diesel started 2026 at around €1.69 a litre. It peaked above €2.20 in late March on the back of the global oil crisis, before government action and easing markets brought it back to €2.00–€2.15 by late April.
That's 20% above the January baseline. For a 50-van operation doing 30,000 km a year per vehicle at 9 L/100km, this equates to roughly €50,000 extra on the diesel bill in 2026 (back-of-envelope; your fleet's numbers will differ).
Eco-driving comes back into focus every time fuel prices spike. Industry and academic estimates put the savings from technique alone at 5 to 10% on most fleet profiles. On a €50,000 hit, that's real money.
Four wins worth chasing
1. Smoother right foot. Stamping on the throttle burns 30 to 40% more fuel than easing it on. Imagine the pedal is an egg under your foot. Worth around 10% on its own across a fleet.
2. Anticipate traffic. Lift early. Hard braking dumps kinetic energy as heat, then you burn diesel getting back up to speed. The faster the road, the bigger the saving.
3. Stay near the limit. A van fleet doing motorway runs at 120 km/h instead of 110 km/h burns about 10% more fuel and shaves maybe two minutes off a Dublin-to-Cork run. The maths gets worse as speeds rise.
4. Tyres at spec. Under-inflated by 0.5 bar costs around 3% in fuel. Free saving, takes a minute per check.
What's changed since 2022
Telematics is a multiplier. Many van fleet vehicles now report harsh acceleration, harsh braking, idling and average speeds back to a platform. That's the data eco-driving programmes used to lack. With telematics you can see who's driving how, target coaching at the drivers who need it and track the fuel-bill impact month by month.
Our refreshed eco-driving tips page sets out the full programme, including templates you can give to drivers and a measurement framework. Worth a half hour while diesel is still at €2-plus.
Related DriverFocus reading
• Eco-Driving Tips (resources page)
Sources
AA Ireland - Forecourt diesel pricing for Ireland, January–April 2026
Eco-driving fuel-saving estimates: industry and academic ranges of 5 to 10% from technique alone are widely reported across fleet operator and transport-research literature, such as EPA Ireland Research.
Related services:
ALLY - an app-based “virtual coach” that allows drivers self-monitor and improve their eco driving style
ECOFleet - is a reward scheme for businesses who reduce their fuel use and CO2