Budget 2027 · Tuesday 6 October 2026 · pending
Budget 2027 and the price of fuelAnnounced so far: +27.3 cent on petrol and +32.3 cent on diesel between 1 November and 28 February.
| €2.245petrol after the steps, fuel unchanged | €2.446diesel after the steps, fuel unchanged | +2.1ca €78.50 carbon step on petrol | +2.5cthe same step on diesel |
The Government publishes Budget 2027 on Tuesday 6 October 2026, and with it the decisions that settle the price of fuel this winter: whether the excise restoration starts on 1 November as scheduled, and whether the carbon tax steps on petrol, diesel and heating fuels go ahead.
The timetable, line by line
| Date | Change | At the pump | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 2026 | Budget 2027 is announced source | — | pending |
| 7 Oct 2026 (Budget night) | Carbon tax on petrol and diesel, €71 to €78.50 per tonne source | petrol +2.1c · diesel +2.5c (est.) | on the 2020 path |
| 14 Oct 2026 | Carbon tax on green diesel, kerosene and other heating fuels, €63.50 to €71 per tonne source | green diesel +2.3c (est.) | legislated |
| 1 Nov 2026 | First step of the excise restoration source | petrol +5.0c · diesel +7.0c · green diesel +2.7c | announced |
| 1 Nov 2026 | NORA levy returns from 0.1 cent to 2 cent a litre source | petrol +2.3c · diesel +2.3c | announced |
| 1 Dec 2026 | Second step of the excise restoration source | petrol +5.0c · diesel +7.0c | announced |
| 31 Dec 2026 | Enhanced Diesel Rebate Scheme for hauliers ends source | — | announced |
| 31 Jan 2027 | Third step of the excise restoration source | petrol +7.0c · diesel +8.0c · green diesel +2.7c | announced |
| 28 Feb 2027 | Final step: pre-March 2026 excise rates restored source | petrol +8.0c · diesel +8.0c | announced |
Confirmed today
Confirmed by Government decision on 27 August 2026: the cuts stay in full until 31 October; excise then returns in four steps (5, 5, 7 and 8 cent on petrol; 7, 7, 8 and 8 cent on diesel, VAT included) on 1 November, 1 December, 31 January and 28 February; the NORA levy goes back to 2 cent a litre on 1 November.
Decided on Budget day
Not yet settled: whether the Budget shifts the restoration later into the winter, as the Tánaiste signalled in September; whether petrol and diesel take the next carbon tax step to €78.50 a tonne; and whether the 14 October increase on kerosene and green diesel survives.
What the steps add up to
A simple projection, keeping the wholesale part of the price where it is today: petrol at about €2.245 and diesel at about €2.446 once the four steps and the NORA levy are back in. That is before any carbon tax increase, worth about 2.1 cent and 2.5 cent respectively.
The arithmetic assumes the wholesale part of the price holds at this week’s level; in practice it moves every week (see the price history charts).
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Aug 2026 | Government keeps the cuts until 31 October and sets a four-step restoration ending on 28 February 2027 | source |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Second excise cut: a further 10 cent on petrol and on diesel; green diesel non-carbon excise goes to zero | source |
| 13 Apr 2026 | About 650 of roughly 1,500 filling stations still without fuel | source |
| 7 Apr 2026 | Protest convoys block the M50 and O'Connell Street; depots and the Whitegate refinery are blockaded in the following days | source |
| 1 Apr 2026 | NORA levy cut from 2 cent to a tenth of a cent a litre | source |
| 25 Mar 2026 | First excise cut: 15 cent on petrol, 20 cent on diesel, VAT included | source |
| 8 Oct 2025 | Carbon tax on petrol and diesel rises to €71 per tonne (Budget 2026) | source |
More of the accounts
Budget 2027: questions
When is Budget 2027?
The Government presents Budget 2027 on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
Will petrol go up on Budget night?
Only if the carbon tax step for road fuel is applied. On the 2020 path the rate would go from €71 to €78.50 a tonne, worth about 2.1 cent on petrol and 2.5 cent on diesel with VAT; ministers said in September that a deferral was possible.
When do the fuel excise cuts end?
Under the decision of 27 August 2026 they stay in full until 31 October and are restored in four steps on 1 November, 1 December, 31 January and 28 February 2027, unless the Budget changes the timetable.