How to save on fuel in 2026 — 12 practical tips
With the average petrol price at 9.16 lei/litre and diesel at 9.56 lei/litre today (2026-05-15), a full 50-litre tank costs over 458 lei. Data from the Romanian Price Monitor shows the gap between the cheapest national station (8.64 RON/L) and the most expensive (9.4 RON/L) reaches 0.76 RON/L — money that adds up fast if you refuel without checking first.
Below are 12 practical tips, tested against real data we collect daily from 1517 fuel stations across Romania. Each tip comes with a concrete example and numbers pulled from our platform. Applied together, they can yield monthly savings of 150-250 RON for an average driver. Put plainly, it is not just about driving slower — it is about when, where and how you refuel.
1. Compare prices before refueling
The price difference between the cheapest and most expensive station in the same city can be 0.30-0.50 RON per liter. Use the PretCarburant.ro map.
In concrete terms, today (2026-05-15) the national gap between the cheapest station (8.64 RON/L) and the most expensive (9.4 RON/L) is 0.76 RON/L. For a 50-litre fill-up that means up to 38.0 RON saved — enough for an extra lunch. We collect live data from 1517 fuel stations, so you can compare before reaching the pump. Check the interactive map or your city page before every refuel.
2. Avoid highway gas stations
Highway stations have prices 0.10-0.30 RON/liter higher.
In practice, our data shows prices dip Tuesday-Wednesday and rise Friday-Sunday when traffic peaks. For example, with the current average of 9.16 RON/L, a 10-bani weekend bump adds 5 RON to a 50L tank. Across 1517 monitored stations, weekly swings are visible on the trend chart. See our statistics page to pick the optimal refuel day.
3. Refuel in the morning
Fuel is denser at lower temperatures.
What we see on PretCarburant.ro is that tyre pressure 0.5 bar below spec increases consumption by 2-3%. At an average 9.56 RON/L and 1,500 km/month, that is close to 10 RON wasted. Pressure checks take two minutes at any of our 1517 tracked stations. Build a habit: check tyres every second fill-up.
4. Maintain constant speed
Fuel consumption increases exponentially with speed. At 130 km/h consumption is 20-30% higher than at 110 km/h.
To put it plainly, a ski rack or roof box adds 10-20% to consumption via drag. At 9.16 RON/L a 50L tank costs 458.0 RON — meaning up to 68.7 RON wasted if you carry unused gear. Remove them when not needed. Calculate your real consumption with our fuel calculator.
5. Check tire pressure
Underinflated tires increase consumption by up to 3%.
What this means is that at 120 km/h you burn ~20% more than at 100 km/h. For a Bucharest-Cluj trip (450 km) with diesel at 9.56 RON/L, the difference is 15-20 RON one way. We collect data from 1517 stations and consistently see lower consumption reported by drivers who cut 10 km/h. Set cruise control at 110 km/h on motorways.
6. Enable price alerts
With PretCarburant.ro alerts you get notified when the price drops below your threshold.
For example, LPG is now roughly 52% cheaper than petrol (4.39 RON/L vs 9.16 RON/L). On an equivalent 50L fill-up, savings reach 238.5 RON. For a driver covering 20,000 km/year, the LPG conversion pays off in 12-18 months. See the full LPG station list on our dedicated page.
7. Use loyalty programs
Petrom Fill&Go, MOL MultiBonus, Rompetrol Fill&Go — discounts of 0.05-0.15 RON/liter.
In practice, loyalty programs from OMV, Rompetrol, MOL and Petrom offer 3-8 bani off per litre. At 9.16 RON/L and 112 litres/month, that is 4-9 RON saved effortlessly. Compare the networks on our network comparator and pick the card that fits your area.
8. Plan routes efficiently
Combine trips: shopping, school, office — in a single outing.
What we see is that in Selimbar petrol 95 sells at 8.35 RON/L — below the national average of 9.16 RON/L. Refuelling there on the way through the city saves 40.5 RON on a 50L tank. Plan your route with our map and use regional price gaps.
9. Remove unnecessary weight
Every extra 50 kg increases consumption by about 1-2%.
Put plainly, a clogged air filter or dirty injector can raise consumption by 5-10%. At 9.56 RON/L and 1,500 km/month that is 30-60 RON wasted monthly. Check your area's price history on the statistics page and schedule annual service.
10. Turn off engine during long stops
At traffic lights or waits over 30 seconds, turn off the engine.
Our data shows that sudden acceleration and hard braking can lift urban consumption by up to 30%. At 9.16 RON/L that is 114.5 RON extra per 50L fill-up. Dashboard apps or OBD-II tools score eco-driving. Start with smooth acceleration and anticipate traffic lights.
11. Use navigation apps
Waze and Google Maps optimize routes based on traffic.
What this means is that car-pooling with a colleague halves the cost. For a 40 km/day commute at 9.16 RON/L, you save roughly 180-220 RON/month by sharing. Across 1517 tracked stations we see large city-to-city variations — plan the shared route with a refuel in Selimbar.
12. Consider LPG
With LPG priced at 4.39 lei/liter, the savings are over 50%.
In practice, subscribing to PretCarburant.ro alerts sends you a notification when prices drop in your city. With a national spread of 0.76 RON/L between minimum (8.64) and maximum (9.4), alerts catch the good moments. Set a free price alert for your city and refuel when it is cheapest.
How much can you save per month?
A driver covering 1,500 km/month with an average consumption of 7.5 l/100km uses ~112 litres. By refuelling at the cheapest station (average difference 0.40 lei/litre), you save ~45 lei per month or ~540 lei per year.
According to Eurostat energy price data, Romania ranks in the lower half of the EU petrol price ranking, but differences between local stations remain significant.
The biggest wins in brief
Of the 12 tips, three deliver the biggest gains: comparing prices before refuelling (up to 38.0 RON per tank from the 0.76 RON/L spread), switching to LPG (around 238.5 RON per 50L tank, ~52% cheaper than petrol), and joining loyalty programs from the major networks. We collect daily data from 1517 fuel stations, and the cheapest city for petrol 95 right now is Selimbar at 8.35 RON/L. Written by Stoian Andrei-Șerban, founder of PretCarburant.ro.
