The end of the so-called tank discount was clearly shown at the pump on the first day after the end of the relief measure. A liter of premium E10 petrol cost an average of 2.02 euros nationwide on Thursday, according to ADAC figures. That was about 23 cents more than the day before, when the reduction in the energy tax on fuels was still in effect.
One liter of diesel cost an average of 2.17 euros when filling up. According to the ADAC, that was almost nine cents more than the day before. In the past two weeks, fuel prices have already risen significantly again.
A look at the fuel price data from the ADAC (as of 9 a.m.) from Friday shows that in the major German cities they are still at a similarly high level, and in some cases they are climbing even higher. An overview:
Super E10
Diesel
Super
The ADAC is now accusing gas station operators of playing a bad game. Because until Wednesday they could still buy at the lower tax rate and could therefore initially have sold petrol and diesel more cheaply. It was forecast that it could take a while before the tax cut – also known as the tank discount – was lifted.
But now prices are skyrocketing. The ADAC now says that some operators have accumulated significantly cheaper petrol before the tank discount expires, which they are now selling for more money, although the cheaper petrol is still in the tanks. ADAC spokeswoman Katrin van Randenborgh told the “Bild” newspaper that some operators would have blocked the pumps in order to demand more money. “In view of the full tanks at the petrol stations, which were filled at low tax rates until yesterday, this can in no way be justified to consumers!”
The Bundeskartellamt had already announced on Tuesday that it would closely monitor the pricing of gas stations after September 1st. After all, competition in the fuel market doesn’t work particularly well, said Andreas Mundt, president of the agency. The automobile club is now demanding an investigation by the cartel office. At the start of the tax cut, there were sometimes heated discussions as to whether the corporations would really pass on the benefit in full to customers.
“In view of the full tanks at the petrol stations, which until yesterday were filled at low tax rates, this can in no way be justified to consumers,” said ADAC spokeswoman Katrin van Randenborgh. The prices for petrol and diesel are likely to rise again significantly when the tank discount ends – but when and how much is still unclear. “We will certainly see a mixture of high and low prices in the coming days and weeks,” says Jürgen Albrecht, fuel price expert at ADAC. The price differences depending on the region and time of day are already in the double-digit cent range. “Initially it will be even more.”
The Federal Association of Independent Petrol Stations (BFT) expects a significant increase in the early morning hours of September 1st. “I assume that we will initially see a large price premium,” said the association’s chairman, Duraid El Obeid, of the German press agency.
Around three years after the start of construction, a new gas-fired power plant is scheduled to go on the electricity market this Friday. The operators emphasize the high efficiency and the contribution to security of supply.
The first results of the stress test announced by Robert Habeck are apparently there. According to one report, the continued operation of two nuclear power plants would have positive effects in two out of three scenarios. However, the ministry does not want to announce an official result yet.
