The Federal Cartel Office is constantly investigating the fuel prices at German petrol stations. Drivers can benefit from the observations.
The extreme low-price phase for petrol and diesel is over. Compared to December last year, fuel prices have risen by around 20 cents. If you want to save on refueling, you should take a look at the market investigation carried out by the Federal Cartel Office. Five tips can be generated from the data from the competition watchdog.
Not directly on the highway
The refueling stop at the rest stop is convenient - but expensive. The average price surcharge for a liter of super directly on the motorway compared to petrol stations in urban areas or on country roads is 25 cents. If you want to refuel quickly and cheaply during a long journey, you should do so at a truck stop. There the price difference to the city gas station is only between 2 and 5 cents.
Better to refuel in the evening
Between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., prices are on average significantly higher than between 18 p.m. and 22 p.m. in the evening. The difference can be up to 12 cents per liter at a single petrol station during the day. With a full tank of fuel, that makes a difference of around 6 euros.
Detours are not always worthwhile
Anyone who thinks they can get cheaper fuel away from the city centers is wrong. According to the Cartel Office, the price differences between town and country are rather small. In rural areas, however, petrol stations often show lower price differences over the course of the day than in the city. However, there are clear differences between the individual counties.
Compare competition
Even if the petrol stations monitor their competitors and make mutual price adjustments, the differences are quite considerable, even within a city. In its investigations, the Cartel Office found a difference of up to 22 cents between the cheapest and the most expensive offer. Incidentally, not all petrol stations follow the same uniform price pattern, so that a comparison can save money, especially at high price times.
Trust in experience
Once cheap, always cheap. This does not apply unreservedly when refueling. But where the fuel was cheap the day before, it is usually still the next day, according to the Cartel Office. So if you don't feel like making constant price comparisons, sticking to good habits usually doesn't do badly either.