Green diesel at €1.70 a litre — what you can actually do about it

Green diesel hit €1.70 a litre this week. If you're running a silage harvester that takes 1,000 litres to fill — and fills twice a day — that's €3,400 in diesel alone, every single day of cutting.

Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice called for an immediate recall of the Dáil this week, warning that the fuel crisis is having "a direct and severe impact on farming." He cited an additional €700 per fill at current prices for a silage harvester — often twice in a single day. Fianna Fáil TDs Ryan O'Meara and Erin McGreehan have written to the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance asking for measures to protect agriculture.

The politics will play out. But you still need to cut silage. So here's what you can actually do right now — and where AI can help.

Know your baseline first

You can't reduce what you don't measure. Most farms have no idea what their real fuel cost per hectare is.

Before anything else, do this:

1. Check your last three fuel invoices. Write down the litres, the price per litre, and the total cost.
2. Estimate your hectares covered. Silage, spreading, cultivation — rough is fine.
3. Divide. That's your cost per hectare for fuel.

That number is your starting point. Everything below is about bringing it down.

Five things that actually reduce fuel use on a farm

1. Match the machine to the job

Running an overpowered tractor for light fieldwork wastes diesel. Matching tractor size to implement requirements can reduce fuel consumption significantly — industry estimates suggest 15-25% depending on the operation. If you have access to a smaller tractor for lighter work — raking, tedding, transport — use it.

2. Tyre pressure matters more than you think

Under-inflated tyres on soft ground increase rolling resistance and fuel burn. Over-inflated tyres on the road do the same. Teagasc recommends checking pressures before every major job. A central tyre inflation system (CTIS) pays for itself on larger operations — check the current TAMS III approved items list for eligibility.

3. Plan your fieldwork routes

Driving from the yard to the farthest field and back three times because you forgot a part is expensive at €1.70 a litre. Plan your route and batch your jobs. This is basic but it saves real money.

4. Service before the season

A poorly maintained engine burns more fuel. Clean air filters, fresh engine oil, and properly adjusted injectors all make a difference. Do it before silage starts, not during.

5. Negotiate your fuel price

If you're buying green diesel without getting quotes from at least two suppliers, you're probably overpaying. Prices vary significantly between suppliers. Some offer bulk discounts or loyalty pricing. Five minutes on the phone could save you €100+ on a fill.

Where AI fits in

AI won't lower the price of diesel. But it can help you use less of it — and track what you're spending.

Route and field planning. Ask an AI assistant to help plan the most efficient route across your fields for a day's work. Give it your field layout, the jobs that need doing, and where the yard is. It won't be perfect — it doesn't know your gates — but it can flag obvious inefficiencies.

Fuel cost tracking. Set up a simple spreadsheet with your AI assistant. Columns: date, litres, price per litre, total cost, job (silage, spreading, transport), hectares covered. Ask the AI to calculate your cost per hectare each month. Over time, you'll see which jobs are burning the most fuel — and where to focus.

Comparing supplier quotes. Paste three fuel quotes into your AI assistant and ask it to compare on a per-litre basis, including delivery charges. It takes 30 seconds and removes the mental arithmetic.

Energy audit prep. SEAI offers energy assessments for farms — check seai.ie for current availability and costs. If you're preparing for one, use an AI assistant to list every piece of fuel-burning equipment on the farm, estimate annual hours of use, and calculate approximate fuel consumption. Walk in with that list and the assessment is faster and more useful.

Grants that can help

Two schemes worth checking right now:

• TAMS III includes eligible items for energy efficiency — LED lighting, variable-speed drives, plate coolers (dairy), and renewable energy investments. Check the latest list on gov.ie.
• SEAI farm energy grants cover solar PV, heat pumps, and energy assessments. The grant rate depends on the technology — solar PV grants have been popular but check current availability.

Neither scheme covers diesel directly. But reducing your electricity bill frees up budget for the fuel bill you can't avoid.

The honest position

No AI tool is going to solve a fuel crisis caused by Middle East geopolitics. If green diesel goes to €2 a litre, the maths changes for every farm in the country — and no amount of route planning fixes that.

What AI can do is help you find the 10-15% of waste that exists in most farm fuel use — the unnecessary trips, the oversized tractor on a light job, the supplier you never got around to comparing. At €1.70 a litre, that 10-15% is worth finding.

What to do right now

1. Pull your last three fuel invoices. Calculate your cost per hectare.
2. Get a second quote on your next green diesel order. Five minutes.
3. Check TAMS III eligibility for anything that reduces energy use on your farm.
4. Set up a fuel tracking spreadsheet — use an AI assistant to build it in two minutes.
5. Read our Farm Energy series — solar payback, 3-phase upgrades, and an honest look at electric tractors.

The fuel price is out of your control. Your fuel use isn't. Start with what you can change.