Fuel prices in Ireland in 2012VAT goes to 23% and petrol tops €1.69.

49 weekly observations make up the record for 2012, with petrol averaging €1.616 and diesel €1.551. Petrol ended the year 15.7 cent higher than it began. Taking 2011 as the base, the petrol average shifted +13.4 cent and diesel +13.9 cent.

On 12 Nov petrol reached the year's top price of €1.693; on 16 Jan it recorded the lowest, €1.485. Comparing the two averages, diesel was 6.5 cent a litre cheaper than petrol. On the weekly duty and VAT rates of the time, the State's share of a petrol litre averaged 56.4% in 2012, or roughly 91.1 cent. Green diesel, recorded in the same bulletin as heating gas oil, averaged €1.101 and ranged from €1.024 to €1.162.

Averaged month by month, petrol topped out in June at €1.679; the floor came in January at €1.489.

The weekly petrol readings split 6 rises against 4 falls, with 39 weeks unchanged.

Irish petrol finished the year 0.6 cent lower relative to the EU average of €1.622.

There was no change to the duty on road fuel in 2012; Revenue's rates sat at €587.71 (petrol) and €479.02 (diesel) per 1,000 litres all year.

VAT on road fuel went from 21% to 23% on 1 January 2012, according to the Commission's VAT records.

The CSO's own average for petrol began the year at €1.542 and stood at €1.599 in December.

The neighbouring years, the 2011 record and 2013 at the pumps, are kept on the same pattern.

Compare all years at once on the price history charts.