Non-Subsidised Fuel Prices Rise, Pertamax Turbo Users Reluctant to Switch

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The increase in Pertamina’s non-subsidised fuel prices starting Saturday (18/4/2026) has surprised some drivers with the quite substantial surge. The rise affects Pertamax Turbo, Dexlite, and Pertamina Dex fuels. Meanwhile, other non-subsidised types like Pertamax and Pertamax Green have not changed in price and remain sold at the previous rates. Nevertheless, he realises that price fluctuations are a risk that must be faced from the start when using that type of fuel. Especially amid the global energy price spike due to the war in the Middle East. “Because the increase is quite high. But on the other hand, I’ve been using Turbo from the beginning, so ready or not, I have to face the risk of ups and downs in prices,” said Yusuf when met at a Pancoran petrol station in South Jakarta on Saturday. He mentioned that this increase impacts his monthly expenditure, especially with daily car usage. Despite this, Yusuf is reluctant to switch to other fuel types. He assesses that using Pertamax Turbo still provides efficiency in terms of fuel consumption. “For now, I still stick with Turbo. Because if you calculate it, using Turbo is actually more economical in consumption. Back then, I thought it was only a slight difference from Pertamax, so I might as well go for the better one,” he said. The impact of this increase is quite noticeable as it adds hundreds of thousands of rupiah to monthly spending. “For now, I still stick with Turbo, haven’t thought of switching to a cheaper one, even switching to Shell, but they’re all closing down,” he said. However, up to now, he has no intention of switching to another fuel type.