Overview
- Retail heating‑oil prices remain elevated in mid‑October 2026 at about €1.67–€1.74 per liter, up from roughly €1.55 a month earlier and projected by Verivox to lift annual oil costs by about €1,520 for a 2,000‑liter household.
- Market drivers include the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz tensions that tightened crude flows, lost refinery gasoil capacity that limits heating‑oil production, and low Rhine water levels that raise transport costs and local margins.
- Energy experts recommend buying partial heating‑oil deliveries of roughly 1,000–1,500 liters to spread risk of further price moves and to avoid the high per‑liter premiums charged for very small orders.
- Pellet prices are also high because weak construction activity has cut the supply of residual wood used to make pellets, so pellet specialists say to order only when stocks are low and to prefer summer refills when possible.
- Consumer protection groups warn about fake online sellers and prepayment scams and offer a Fakeshop‑Finder to check offers, while politicians such as Hubert Aiwanger are pressing the federal government to suspend the national CO₂ levy as short‑term relief.