SL's 2026 Fuel Import Bill Set to Beat the 2012 Record — Still Buying Petrol?

Sri Lanka spent US$4.49 billion on fuel imports in the first nine months of 2026, over 51% more than the same period last year, and analysts say the full-year bill could near US$5.5 billion if Middle East tensions keep oil prices high — beating the old record of US$5.04 billion set in 2012. That's despite monthly fuel spending actually falling recently; pump prices still rose again on 2 November, with 95 Octane up to Rs 490 and diesel to Rs 397. One camp says this is the clearest signal yet: if the country itself can't absorb the import bill, buying another petrol or diesel car is betting against the exchange rate and your own wallet, so hybrid or EV is just common sense now. The other camp says hybrid battery replacement costs, patchy charging outside Colombo, and uncertain resale value mean you're just swapping one unpredictable cost for another, especially if you drive long distances for work. Has the fuel bill actually changed what you're planning to buy next, or are you sticking with petrol/diesel regardless? Ten gාණන් නිසා ඔබ ළඟදි හයිබ්‍රිඩ් හෝ EV එකකට මාරු වෙන්න හිතුවද, නැත්නම් තාමත් පෙට්‍රල්/ඩීසල් එකම හොඳයි කියලද හිතෙන්නේ?