How to Buy Petroleum on Trading 212: AIGO Explained

Published 3 August 2026

You can get exposure to the petroleum side of the energy market, crude oil together with the fuels refined from it, through a single investment. It trades on the stock market just like a share, so you can buy and sell it straight from your Trading 212 account. This guide shows exactly how to buy petroleum on Trading 212, what sits inside the basket, and how to place your order.

Petroleum sits between a single-fuel bet and the full energy market: it holds crude oil plus gasoline and heating oil, but leaves out natural gas. That makes it a focused way to follow the oil complex. If you would rather target one fuel or add gas back in, we also cover how to do that using individual products on Trading 212.

Key Takeaways

• Petroleum is a futures-based basket of crude oil and refined products, not physical fuel or oil company shares.
• The main option available on Trading 212 is WisdomTree Petroleum (AIGO), which tracks the Bloomberg Petroleum Subindex: WTI crude, Brent crude, gasoline and heating oil.
• The key difference from the broad energy basket is that petroleum leaves out natural gas.
• AIGO trades in US dollars with no GBP line, so a pound account pays the 0.15% currency fee on the buy and the sell.
• The ongoing charge is around 0.49% a year, and because the exposure is futures-based, contango can drag on returns.

What You Are Actually Buying

Buying petroleum on Trading 212 does not mean a barrel of oil arriving at your door, and it does not mean buying shares in an oil company either. Owning the fuel physically would be impractical, and oil company shares move on earnings and dividends rather than the fuel price itself.

Instead, you buy an Exchange-Traded Commodity (ETC) that tracks the price of a basket of petroleum futures. Rather than storing physical fuel, it uses futures contracts to follow the market, with collateral held to back the position. Petroleum is one corner of a wider asset class, and our commodities guide covers the full range.

Petroleum vs the Broad Energy Basket

Petroleum and the broad energy basket are close cousins. WisdomTree Petroleum (AIGO) holds WTI crude, Brent crude, gasoline and heating oil, the crude oil and the products refined from it. The broad energy basket, WisdomTree Energy (AIGE), holds all of that plus natural gas.

So the choice comes down to gas. If you want the oil complex without the swings that natural gas brings, petroleum is the tighter option. If you want the whole energy market in one trade, our energy commodities guide covers the broader basket. To follow crude directly instead, see our guide to buying oil. For the refined side, our gasoline guide covers petrol. And our heating oil guide covers the distillate used for heating.

Things to Watch Out For (Fees, Currency and Contango)

The exposure is futures-based. Oil futures curves are often in contango, where later-dated contracts cost more than near-term ones, so each roll can drag on returns and the ETC may lag the headline spot price over long holds. That is simply how futures-based petroleum exposure works, which is why it is often held tactically rather than bought and forgotten.

On costs, WisdomTree Petroleum is priced in US dollars and currently has no pound-denominated line, so a GBP account pays Trading 212’s 0.15% currency conversion fee on both the buy and the sell. The ongoing charge, shown as the expense ratio, is around 0.49% a year, and as a smaller ETC the spread can be a touch wider, which is a good reason to use a limit order when you buy.

The ETC Questionnaire

There is also one quick step to know about before your first purchase. Because ETCs are classed as complex products, Trading 212 may ask you to complete a short appropriateness questionnaire before you can buy one. Our guide to the Trading 212 ETC questionnaire explains exactly what it asks and how to complete it.

How to Buy Petroleum on Trading 212: Step by Step

Step 1: The Search

Open the search, the magnifying glass icon, and type Petroleum. A search for oil-related terms will also surface single-fuel and leveraged products, so the ticker is the quickest way to land on the right commodity ETC. Filter to the ETFs section to narrow the list.

Step 2: Choosing Your Product

At the time of writing, the main option available on Trading 212 is WisdomTree Petroleum (AIGO), which tracks the Bloomberg Petroleum Subindex across crude oil, gasoline and heating oil. Check the name says “Petroleum” rather than a single fuel or an equity energy fund. Note that it currently trades in US dollars, as there is no pound-denominated line at the time of writing. Fund availability can change, so it is worth checking Trading 212 for the latest options before you buy.

Step 3: Checking the Details

Click into the product and scroll to Instrument Details. Confirm the ongoing charge, shown as the expense ratio, is around 0.49%, and check the currency, which will read USD for AIGO. This is also where you can confirm it is the futures-based commodity ETC rather than an equity fund.

Step 4: Market vs Limit Orders

When you press buy you have a choice in the top right. A market order buys instantly at the current price, which is convenient but can slip if the price moves while it processes. A limit order lets you set the maximum you will pay and only fills if the price dips to your level, which is handy on a smaller ETC where the spread can be a touch wider.

Market and limit orders are just the starting point. Trading 212 also offers stop orders, stop-limit orders, and other tools that can help you buy at a specific price or protect against sudden drops. For a full breakdown of how each order type works and when to use them, see our guide on Trading 212 order types.

Conclusion

For most people, WisdomTree Petroleum (AIGO) is a focused way to follow the oil complex on Trading 212, holding crude and refined products in one trade while leaving out natural gas. Bear in mind it is priced in dollars, so a pound account pays the currency fee, and the exposure is futures-based, so contango can drag on long-term returns. That makes petroleum better suited to a tactical role, and if you want gas included, the broad energy basket may fit better.

FAQ

What Is the Difference Between Petroleum and Energy?

Petroleum holds crude oil and refined products (crude, gasoline and heating oil), while the broad energy basket adds natural gas. Petroleum is the oil complex without the gas.

Is WisdomTree Petroleum an ETF of Oil Shares?

No. It is a commodity ETC that tracks petroleum futures, not the shares of oil companies, so it moves with the fuel prices rather than company earnings.

Does It Have a Currency Fee?

Yes, if your account is in a currency other than US dollars. Because AIGO is priced in US dollars, Trading 212’s 0.15% currency conversion fee applies each time you buy or sell, so a pound account pays it on both trades. The ongoing charge is around 0.49% a year.

Can I Hold Petroleum in an ISA?

Yes. Petroleum ETCs can be held in a Stocks and Shares ISA, which shelters any gains from tax.

Why Might It Lag the Oil Price?

Because it tracks futures rather than a physical barrel. When oil curves are in contango, rolling contracts forward costs a little each time, which can cause the ETC to trail the headline spot price over longer holds.