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German petrol prices rise before end of fuel discount

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
German petrol prices rise before end of fuel discount
A man fills up his car at a petrol station in Hamburg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Reinhardt

According to German motorists' association ADAC, prices at the pump have already climbed up significantly - a week before the government's energy tax cut on fuel is due to end.

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Just over a week before the end of the so-called fuel discount, drivers are seeing prices at the pump rise yet again.

After a week-long downward trend and a few days of stagnations, fuel prices increased slightly over the weekend, according to motorists' association ADAC.

According to ADAC's latest survey, the average price of E10 premium petrol rose from around €1.717 to €1.730 between Sunday and Monday. Meanwhile, average diesel prices jumped to €1.974 from €1.964. 

With the time-limited energy tax cut on fuel due to end overnight on August 31st, experts assume the price rise is due to higher demand as drivers seek to take advantage of the cheaper petrol prices while they can. 

READ ALSO: When is the best time for drivers in Germany to fill up cars with fuel?

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Major differences in price across Germany

However, ADAC noted that prices currently vary significantly across different regions and suppliers.

Furthermore, there is still a large north-south divide. Among other factors, transportation costs have risen due to the low water levels on the Rhine, meaning people in the south have to pay more for fuel on average than in the north.

Prices also continue to vary considerably at different times of the day: fuel is usually most expensive in the morning at 7am, while the cheapest time to fill up is between 8 and 10pm.

Since June 1st this year, energy taxes on fuel have been reduced to the EU minimums in Germany. Alongside the €9 ticket for public transport users, the measure was intended to offer relieve from the soaring cost of mobility following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. 

Prices could rise significantly again with the end of the measure - potentially by around 35 cents for petrol and 17 cents for diesel, if the full tax rise is passed onto consumers.

However, ADAC doesn't expect the cost to go up immediately, since petrol station operators are likely to have secured as much fuel as possible while the cheaper rate was still in force.

This means that most will have filled up their supplies ahead of September 1st and will then continue to sell petrol and diesel at reduced prices to gain a competitive advantage. 

READ ALSO: Could drivers in Germany fund a future €9 ticket scheme?

 

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