The tank discount will expire soon. With the end of the measure, the prices at the petrol pumps could rise again significantly. Motorists are already fearing a new price shock. But the ADAC weighs it down – at least for the time being.
A good week before the end of the so-called tank discount, fuel prices have risen slightly again. After a week-long downward slide and short-term stagnation, things picked up again slightly after the weekend, according to the ADAC. Super gasoline of the E10 variety increased from Sunday to Monday from around 1.717 to 1.730 euros. Diesel cost 1.974 instead of 1.964 euros previously.
The reason for the increase is probably higher demand in view of an imminent price jump in the coming week. The prices are national averages. The actual prices can differ significantly: According to information from the ADAC, there are currently larger price differences than usual depending on the provider and region. There is also a further large north-south divide: Among other things, due to the high transport costs due to the low water in the Rhine, people in the south have to pay more for fuel on average than in the north.
In addition, the prices fluctuate considerably over the course of the day: fuel is usually the most expensive at 7 a.m. in the morning. It is cheapest for drivers to refuel between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The so-called tank discount expires in the night from August 31 to September 1. This is actually a temporary reduction in energy tax to the minimum level specified 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.
Prices could rise again significantly once the measure ends, arithmetically by around 35 cents for petrol and 17 cents for diesel. However, the ADAC does not initially expect a sudden increase, because petrol station operators also buy cheaper thanks to the discount. It can therefore be assumed that they will fill up their fuel tanks again before September 1st and then continue to sell petrol and diesel at a reduced price in order to gain a competitive advantage.
