Diesel is more expensive than Super E10 at German gas stations for the first time since February. And this despite the fact that diesel is taxed lower. The season also plays a role.
The price of diesel has risen sharply in recent weeks. So strong that it has now overtaken the price of Super E10. For the first time since February, diesel at Germany’s gas stations is more expensive than E10.
On a nationwide daily average, a liter of diesel cost 1,860 euros yesterday, as the ADAC reported today. The price for a liter of E10 was 1.854 euros, 0.6 cents lower. This means that diesel has become 1.3 cents more expensive over the past seven days, while E10 has become 2.1 cents cheaper.
20 cent difference in taxation
As a rule, diesel is actually significantly cheaper than E10. The reason: The fuel is taxed about 20 cents per liter lower. In the ten years before the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the difference between the two fuels averaged 15 cents.
Last year, however, the situation turned around because not only crude oil but also diesel was imported from Russia. This led to an increase in the price of diesel. With the slow normalization of prices, diesel became cheaper than E10 again in February 2023, even over 20 cents in May and June.
Households fill up oil tanks
Since then, the price of diesel has risen sharply again. Between June and October, fuel prices rose by a good 30 cents. E10 only became 8.2 cents more expensive in the same period. According to ADAC, the high prices in recent weeks are due to the further rise in oil prices and the weaker euro compared to the US dollar.
It is not unusual for the price gap between diesel and E10 to narrow in the fall. In line with the heating season, many households fill up their oil tanks, so demand increases. However, the fact that diesel overtakes E10 is the exception.
A recommendation from the ADAC is: fill up in the evening if possible. Evaluations show that refueling is cheapest between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. and between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Those who fill up in the morning pay an average of eight to nine cents more.