The Estonian Tax and Customs Board's figures for January 2023 show, that while fuel sales in Estonia remain at the same level as a year earlier, a marked decline in diesel sales led to a 5 percent drop in fuel consumption levels, according to the Estonian Oil Association (Eesti Õliühing).
This January, wholesale motor fuel sales in Estonia were down by almost five million litres when compared to the same month last year.
The Estonian Oil Association noted, that while fuel prices were on average 15 cents higher per litre than a year ago, consumption also fell by 1.5 percent on year. This suggests, there was a drop in fuel consumption in the industrial sector, which generally uses higher amounts of diesel.
"Fixed installations, factory equipment and specialist vehicles, including industrial forestry machinery, all need diesel to operate. The anticipated continuation into January of the decline in industrial production, which had already fallen by a tenth in December, also certainly had an impact," said Mart Raamat, head of the Estonian Oil Association.
While diesel wholesale revenues declined, retail sales of diesel at gas stations rose by two percent on year. The increase in sales volumes was especially noticeable in the Estonian border regions of Ida-Viru County, Pärnu County and Valga County.