As of: 30.10.2026, 12:00 (Zurich time). Heating oil and fuel prices change daily; figures are national averages.
The short version
A litre of heating oil costs about CHF 1.74 in Switzerland today for a standard 3,000-litre order, according to the price comparison site HeizOel24. On 1 June 2025 it cost about CHF 0.90. That is a rise of roughly 94% in seventeen months, and today's price is only a few centimes below the three-year high of CHF 1.78 per litre reached on Monday, 26 October.
Many households feel this directly. Oil is still the main heating source for 33% of Swiss residential buildings and 32% of households, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported in September. Fuel is expensive too: diesel averages CHF 2.42 a litre, close to this year's high of CHF 2.46 in mid-September, and unleaded 95 costs CHF 2.13, according to Touring Club figures reported by Keystone-SDA via swissinfo.
Two forces are behind it: crude oil prices pushed up by conflict in the Middle East, and a Rhine so shallow that it has almost stopped working as Switzerland's fuel route.
Problem one: crude oil
Brent crude traded at about $117 a barrel on Friday morning and is heading for its fourth monthly gain in a row, roughly 12% above the end of September, HeizOel24 reported. Before the Iran war began at the end of February, Brent was around $72, according to Keystone-SDA.
On Thursday, Yemen's Houthis said they had attacked Saudi facilities including the Ras Tanura refinery and Aramco's Abqaiq site; there was initially no Saudi confirmation. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted, according to the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES). In September, petroleum products in the Swiss consumer price index were 31.2% more expensive than a year earlier, the FSO said.
Swiss heating oil, average price per 100 litres for a 3,000-litre order. Source: HeizOel24
Problem two: the Rhine
Normally about a tenth of all Swiss imports arrive through the Rhine ports in Basel, mainly fuels but also grain, building materials and containers, NZZ reports. After a summer the ports' director called the driest he had ever seen, the river has carried extremely low water for three months. In August, the Basel ports handled almost 70% less cargo than a year earlier.
The bottleneck is Kaub in Germany, the shallowest stretch of the Middle Rhine. The gauge there was mostly below 10 cm between 24 September and 10 October, and climbed above 50 cm on 26 October for the first time since 4 September, according to German waterways authority data cited by the World Ports Organization. The relief is fading. On Friday the Kaub level fell 13 cm in a day to 45 cm, and the official forecast sees 28 cm by Monday morning, HeizOel24 reported.
Shallow water means half-empty barges and expensive freight. In mid-October, Rhine freight cost CHF 275 per tonne and ships could load barely 20% of their maximum, Blick reported.
Rhine water level at Kaub. Sources: German waterways authority via World Ports Organization; HeizOel24
Is Switzerland running out of heating oil?
No. FONES describes the supply of petrol and heating oil as "secured, but tense" (our translation), and says compulsory stocks of heating oil, petrol and diesel are above their target levels. Its 21 October situation report says the Rhine is currently "de facto not usable" for oil imports. Rail deliveries, the Cressier refinery, the SAPPRO pipeline and road imports are carrying the load instead. If another route fails as well, the situation could tighten quickly, the office warns.
Bern has already released some emergency stocks: up to 45,000 cubic metres of diesel between 23 October and 22 November, and up to 30,000 cubic metres of jet fuel until 1 November. Released stocks are sold at market prices, not at a discount, FONES notes.
Economists expect only a limited effect on overall inflation. UBS economist Alessandro Bee told NZZ that the low Rhine should lift inflation slightly this autumn, but not noticeably over the next six to twelve months.
What it means for people holding francs
Households with an oil tank: at today's average, 3,000 litres cost about CHF 5,220. At the June 2025 low the same order cost about CHF 2,690, and three months ago about CHF 4,390 (HeizOel24 data, our calculation). Prices differ by canton: Vaud is cheapest today at CHF 1.70 a litre, Graubünden the most expensive at CHF 1.87.
Tenants: heating is often billed through the annual service-charge statement, so higher oil prices this winter may show up in a later bill rather than in this month's rent.
The franc as a cushion: crude oil is priced in dollars, and a dollar buys only about 0.82 francs today. A strong franc softens imported energy prices, but it cannot offset a jump of this size, and it does nothing about the cost of moving fuel up a shallow river.
Drivers and businesses: diesel near its 2026 high adds costs for hauliers, builders and farmers, and an economist quoted by Blick expects more of these costs to reach consumers if the dry spell continues.
What one tank fill costs. Source: HeizOel24 data, The Franc calculation
What to watch next
The Rhine level at Kaub over the weekend, and whether rain finally arrives.
The next FONES situation report and any further releases from compulsory stocks.
The Middle East: according to reports cited by HeizOel24, US military options against Iran have been presented to President Trump, who has hinted that air strikes could resume after the US congressional elections on 3 November.
The FSO's next consumer price figures, which will show how much of this reaches the overall inflation rate.
General information only, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument. Figures come from the sources linked above. Independent; not affiliated with any authority or company mentioned.
General information only, not investment advice. · Allgemeine Information, keine Anlageberatung. · Information générale, pas un conseil en placement. · Informazione generale, non consulenza in investimenti.