Tank tip
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Petrol and diesel are cheapest on this day of the week
Photo: dpa/Frank Augstein
service Never before have the prices for petrol and diesel at petrol stations in Germany risen as sharply as in March. When to expect a relaxation and with which tank tips you can save money.
Due to the Russian war against Ukraine, March 2022 was the most expensive fuel month ever. Within a few days, the price of petrol jumped by 37.6 cents in March, and diesel even went up by 56.5 cents within nine days. This is shown by a current analysis of fuel prices by the ADAC.
At the end of the month, the tense price situation at German petrol stations eased again, but remained at a high level. A liter of Super E10 cost 2.022 euros on March 31, diesel 2.107 euros.
When looking at the monthly average prices, the analysis by the ADAC shows an extreme leap upwards. On January 7, drivers had to pay an average of 1.644 euros for a liter of Super E10. Within two months, the price for Super has risen by almost 56 cents, for Diesel it is even 76 cents more on March 10 than in January.
Although fuel prices fell again in early April, they are still unreasonably high, according to the ADAC. The high prices for crude oil can only partially explain the price development at the petrol stations. While Brent crude oil briefly cost over $130 in March, the price fell back to $105 over the course of the month. Fuel prices, on the other hand, did not fall and remained at a high level for weeks.
Against this background, the ADAC expressly welcomes the latest initiative by the Federal Minister of Economics to strengthen the market transparency unit for fuels at the Federal Cartel Office. In essence, it is about illuminating the processes involved in the manufacture and wholesale of fuels from oil production to the pump. According to the ADAC, the intensified monitoring of market events by the market transparency office can make an important contribution towards normalizing the price level.
The fuel price is lowest on Tuesday
Motorists should continue to take advantage of the opportunities to save money when filling up. The fuel price often changes several times a week. Even within a day, the price of petrol can vary by up to 10 cents per liter. A regular petrol price comparison can be worthwhile before filling up.
The closer the weekend gets, the higher the prices. On Saturday there is a lot of crowding at German petrol stations, but on a Tuesday or Wednesday the petrol stations are relatively empty.
According to the Statistics “When to refuel – the cheapest days of the week” from benzinpreis.de (As of April 11) Tuesday was by far the cheapest day to refuel in the past 7 days, the most expensive was Sunday.
ADAC evaluations show that petrol and diesel are most expensive in the morning, but are cheapest in the evening. According to the ADAC, the ideal time to refuel is between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. According to benzinpreise.de, drivers were able to save the most money around 9 p.m. last week, and fuel was most expensive at 7 a.m.
The choice of filling station also affects the price of fuel. Independent gas stations are often a few cents cheaper than chains like Aral or Shell.