Status: 08/11/2022 12:11 p.m
The price difference at the pump between morning and evening in July was up to twelve cents. A new ADAC evaluation shows at which times of the day it is cheaper to fill up.
If you fill up in the morning, you pay more at the pump. In a new evaluation, the ADAC has quantified the exact price differences for July. The basis was the price movements at around 14,000 petrol stations in Germany.
According to the ADAC evaluation published today, the difference in July between the highest and lowest price per day was twelve cents on average. According to ADAC, the savings potential for drivers of petrol cars has increased over the past few months by choosing the right time to fill up. With a 50-liter tank filling, motorists pay up to six euros less if they drive to the petrol station at favorable times.
Different fuels
One result is that up to twelve cents per liter of Super E10 can be saved by refueling in the evening instead of in the morning. In May, the fuel savings potential was just ten cents on average. For diesel drivers, on the other hand, the savings potential has fallen. They can also save up to twelve cents per liter if they fill up in the evening, for example. In May, however, the difference was still 16 cents.
The twelve cent difference between the E10 and diesel is comparatively large. Since 2015, the ADAC has carried out the examination once a year in May. There has never been a greater gap between morning and evening for the E10, and only once for diesel: in May of this year it was an extraordinary 17 cents.
Fuel prices over the course of the day
The time plays a major role in pricing at the gas station. From around 5am, prices start to rise to peak at around 7am. In July, the prices for both diesel and E10 were eight cents higher than the daily average. From this peak, the price curve for both fuels then runs downwards in waves. There are other price peaks around 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and from 11 p.m.
From the early afternoon, however, the price is typically below the daily average. From just after 4 p.m. to just before 10 p.m., it is continuously at least two cents with slight fluctuations.
Cheapest in the evening
According to the ADAC, the lowest prices are at the gas stations between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. But the period between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. is also relatively cheap. Anyone who fills up shortly before 7 p.m. or between 9 p.m. and just before 10 p.m. can save up to four cents compared to the daily average. During the night, on the other hand, there are hardly any price changes.
In July this year, ADAC repeated the daily survey of fuel prices it carried out every May. According to the experts, the turbulence surrounding the tax rebate on petrol and diesel also called into question the typical development over the course of the day. But even if the differences are currently very high, not much has changed in the basic system.