Status: 08/24/2022 10:38 a.m
A good week before the tank discount expires, fuel at the gas stations has become even more expensive. According to the ADAC, the price fluctuations depending on the region and the time of day are particularly large.
After a week-long decline and short-term stagnation, fuel prices have risen again slightly since the weekend. Super petrol of the E10 variety increased from Sunday to Monday from around 1.717 to 1.730 euros, as announced by the ADAC. Diesel also cost more: 1.974 instead of 1.964 euros previously. The diesel price had already climbed in the past week.
The reason for the increase is apparently higher demand with a view to an imminent price jump in the coming week, according to the automobile club. Because then the so-called tank discount, with which the energy tax was reduced for three months, will expire.
In the evening it is cheaper to refuel
The prices at the petrol stations are national averages. Actual prices may vary significantly. According to the ADAC, there are currently larger price differences than usual depending on the provider and region.
There is also a large north-south divide: partly due to the high transport costs due to the low water level in the Rhine, people in the south have to pay more for fuel on average than in the north.
In addition, the prices also fluctuate considerably over the course of the day: fuel is usually the most expensive at 7 a.m. in the morning. According to the ADAC, the cheapest time for drivers to refuel is between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
ADAC does not expect price jumps
The so-called tank discount ends in the night from 31 August to 1 September. It is actually a temporary reduction in energy tax to the minimum set by the EU. It has been valid since June 1 together with the 9-euro ticket to relieve consumers in view of the energy prices. With success: The prices at the gas stations have fallen significantly in recent months.
Now, with the end of the measure, they could rise sharply again – arithmetically by around 35 cents for petrol and 17 cents for diesel. How the costs for motorists will actually develop after the expiry of the more favorable taxation can hardly be predicted.
The ADAC initially does not anticipate a sudden increase, because petrol station operators were also able to buy more cheaply thanks to the discount. It can therefore be assumed that they will fill up their fuel tanks again before September 1st. This would allow them to initially sell petrol and diesel at a lower price in order to gain a competitive advantage.
Appeal to the competition authorities
The mineral oil industry, on the other hand, warns of possible bottlenecks in the coming weeks. One reason for this could be the low Rhine level. In addition, the industry association En2x expects that from September 1st there will be hardly any lower-taxed fuel available at petrol stations, “since drivers will probably drive to petrol stations more often before the end of the fuel discount”.
The head of the Federal Association of Consumers, Ramona Pop, calls on the Federal Cartel Office to “monitor prices closely and punish excessive price increases or anti-competitive behavior with high fines”. The energy crisis has led to record profits for the oil companies, so there is no inevitable need for them to raise fuel prices again.