Ghana Fuel Prices Rise in February 2026: Star Oil Petrol at GH¢9.99, Diesel Stable

Introduction

As of February 1, 2026, Ghana’s gas digital marketing has witnessed the primary wave of fee changes for the brand new pricing window, with main Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) enforcing will increase in petrol costs. Market chief Star Oil has revised its petrol fee to GH¢9.99 consistent with litre, up from GH¢9.97, whilst keeping up its diesel fee at GH¢10.95. Simultaneously, Zen Petroleum has raised each petrol (to GH¢9.99 from GH¢9.94) and diesel (to GH¢11.44 from a prior price). These adjustments sign the top of the short-lived steadiness on the pumps and are attributed to a confluence of global and native financial pressures, significantly foreign money depreciation and emerging crude oil prices. This article supplies a complete, Search engine optimization-optimized breakdown of the present gas fee will increase in Ghana, analyzing the professional causes, digital marketing mechanics, and sensible implications for customers and companies.

Key Points of the February 2026 Fuel Price Revision

The following outlines the showed pump fee adjustments from main OMCs as of the newsletter date. This phase serves as a quick-reference abstract of the present gas costs in Ghana.

Star Oil’s Pricing Strategy

Petrol (Gasoline): Increased to GH¢9.99 consistent with litre (from GH¢9.97).
Diesel (Gasoil): Remains unchanged at GH¢10.95 consistent with litre.
Effective Date: February 1, 2026.
Scope: The adjustment applies to its national discounted costs. The organization mentioned the transfer aligns with a marginal upward revision of the professional petrol fee ground.

Zen Petroleum’s Adjustments

Petrol (Gasoline): Increased to GH¢9.99 consistent with litre (from GH¢9.94).
Diesel (Gasoil): Increased to GH¢11.44 consistent with litre.
Effective Date: February 2, 2026.

Market-Wide Implications

More OMCs are anticipated to announce revised pump costs from February 2, 2026.
Industry assessments point out that almost all companies are pricing gas most effective marginally above the professional fee ground, reflecting intense digital marketing festival amongst OMCs in Ghana somewhat than vital markup expansions.
The fee revision window follows projections of a 2% to over 5% building up consistent with litre for petroleum merchandise.

Background: Understanding Ghana’s Fuel Pricing Ecosystem

To comprehend the February 2026 gas fee changes, it is very important to know the construction of Ghana’s downstream petroleum originality.

The Role of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs)

OMCs are the entities accountable for the importation, garage, distribution, and retail of petroleum merchandise at carrier stations throughout Ghana. They perform in a regulated however aggressive digital marketing. The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) is the main advertising affiliation that advocates for its participants and offers collective research on sectoral problems, together with the standards using petrol and diesel fee adjustments.

The Pricing Mechanism and the “Price Floor”

Ghana employs a petrol pricing system that considers the next key parts:

International Benchmarks: The price of crude oil and subtle merchandise at the multinational digital marketing (e.g., Brent, Dubai, or explicit subtle product benchmarks).
Exchange Rate: The Ghanaian cedi’s (GH¢) worth towards america greenback, as petroleum imports are dollar-denominated. A depreciating cedi will increase the native foreign money price of imported gas.
Importation Costs: Freight, insurance coverage, and port fees.
Local Margins: Allowances for OMCs, vendors, and shops.
Taxes and Levies: Government-imposed excise tasks, street budget, and different statutory bills.

The “fee ground” is the minimal indicative fee calculated by way of the regulator (the National Petroleum Authority – NPA) in accordance with the above system. It serves as a benchmark for OMCs. Revisions to the associated fee ground, even marginal ones, ceaselessly cause corresponding changes in retail costs to make sure OMCs can duvet their import prices and keep away from promoting at a loss.

Analysis: The Drivers Behind the Current Price Hike

COMAC and advertising resources have recognized two number one, interconnected catalysts for the February 2026 gas fee building up in Ghana: global crude oil fee surges and the depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi. A 3rd issue, aggressive digital marketing dynamics, shapes how those price will increase are handed directly to customers.

1. Surging International Crude Oil Prices

Data cited by way of COMAC finds a pointy, temporary spike in multinational crude oil costs. During the assessment length for the February pricing window, crude oil surged from roughly USD 64 to just about USD 70 consistent with barrel inside simply two days. This represents an building up of virtually 10% in an excessively temporary length. Since subtle gas costs (petrol, diesel) are without delay related to crude oil prices, the sort of fast escalation in an instant pressures the import expenses of all Ghanaian OMCs, necessitating fee changes to deal with viability.

2. Depreciation of the Ghanaian Cedi

The native foreign money’s efficiency towards america greenback is a perennial and demanding consider Ghana’s gas prices. For the February 1, 2026, pricing window, the cedi weakened marginally. The alternate price moved from GH¢10.90 to GH¢10.98 consistent with USD, representing a 0.77% depreciation. While this will appear small, it compounds the impact of upper dollar-denominated crude oil costs. Every greenback spent on uploading a barrel of oil now calls for extra cedis, without delay inflating the native price construction even sooner than different margins and taxes are added. COMAC famous this depreciation came about “initially of the yr” towards main buying and selling currencies.

3. The Moderating Influence of Market Competition

Despite those vital price pressures, advertising observers observe a definite development within the present pricing cycle: maximum companies are pricing gas most effective reasonably above the professional fee ground. This contrasts with earlier home windows the place OMCs ceaselessly carried out better premiums. This conduct is attributed to “heavy affect by way of digital marketing festival.” In a crowded OMC panorama, corporations are hesitant to boost costs excessively for concern of dropping price-sensitive shoppers to competition. Star Oil’s choice to carry diesel stable whilst most effective marginally expanding petrol is also a strategic aggressive transfer. This aggressive drive acts as a partial client buffer, proscribing the whole pass-through of price will increase into retail costs.

4. Regulatory and Monetary Policy Context

COMAC reported receiving assurances from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) that the central financial institution stays “keen on keeping up fee steadiness whilst supporting financial direction.” This suggests a coordinated, albeit wary, tech between the advertising and financial government. The BoG’s foreign exchange interventions and financial coverage without delay affect alternate price steadiness, which is the one maximum essential home issue for gas prices. The marginal cedi depreciation signifies some effectiveness of those measures, however the underlying drive from a robust greenback and prime multinational oil costs persists.

Practical Advice for Consumers and Businesses

With the affirmation of upper petrol costs in Ghana and possible additional diesel will increase, customers and transport-dependent companies should undertake methods to mitigate the have an effect on on their family budgets and operational prices.

For Individual Motorists:

Monitor Prices Closely: Use cell apps and social media pages of more than a few OMCs (e.g., Star Oil, Zen Petroleum, TotalEnergies, Goil) to trace real-time pump costs in Ghana. Prices can range reasonably between stations, even from the similar organization, in accordance with location and explicit promotions.
Optimize Driving Habits: Practice fuel-efficient using: keep away from competitive acceleration and braking, deal with stable speeds, and make sure correct tire inflation. This can strengthen gas economic system by way of 10-20%.
Plan Trips Efficiently: Combine errands to scale back general mileage. Use navigation apps to keep away from site visitors congestion, as idling dramatically will increase gas intake.
Consider Vehicle Maintenance: Regular servicing, together with oil adjustments, air filter out replacements, and engine tune-ups, guarantees your automobile runs at top potency.
Explore Alternative Transport: For brief distances, believe strolling, biking, or the use of public delivery (trotro, buses) to offset non-public automobile use.

For Businesses and Fleet Operators:

Implement Fleet Management Systems: Use telematics to observe driving force conduct, direction potency, and automobile idling instances to spot and do away with gas waste.
Negotiate Bulk Supply Contracts: Larger customers might negotiate fixed-price or capped-price provide agreements with OMCs to hedge towards additional volatility right through the contract length.
Review Logistics: Optimize supply routes, consolidate shipments, and believe backhauling possibilities to scale back general kilometres travelled.
Communicate with Customers: If your venture is based closely on delivery, transparently be in contact possible carrier rate changes to purchasers because of emerging gas prices.
Evaluate Vehicle Replacement: For long-term making plans, believe transitioning to extra fuel-efficient fashions or, the place possible, electrical or hybrid cars to scale back publicity to long run diesel and petrol fee volatility.