Tankrabatt: ADAC fordert Abschaffung der 12-Uhr-Regel an Tankstellen

Der ADAC has called for the abolition of the so-called 12 o'clock rule at fuel stations. While the rule has reduced the number of daily price changes and made the time of price increases more predictable, it has not lowered prices, the ADAC stated. In fact, the price difference within a day has significantly widened. The so-called 12 o'clock rule has existed in Germany since April 1st.

Fuel stations can only raise prices once a day, at 12:00 PM. Prices can be lowered at any time. According to the ADAC, consumers have to pay significant additional costs when filling up their cars after 12 PM, which is unjustified. The ADAC's Verkehrspräsident, Peter König, said that the 12 o'clock rule has not achieved its goal from the perspective of consumers and should therefore be abolished.

The ADAC is not alone in criticizing the regulation. The Leibniz Center for European Economic Research found that the once-a-day price increase leads to higher average prices, with prices being systematically higher during midday to evening hours and tendentially lower in the morning. Before the 12 o'clock rule, consumers would have had numerous opportunities to fill up for less throughout the day.

The Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research also assessed the measure negatively. The temporary reduction in the energy tax decided by the federal government is seen by the automobile club as the realistic way to relieve drivers. It must be ensured that the tax reduction can be passed on as completely as possible at the fuel pump.

The announced fuel price ceiling is seen by the ADAC as a constructive way to accompany the measure: a government-determined maximum price could protect against extreme price spikes in the short term, but it would not automatically guarantee lower prices in the long term. The specific height and calculation of the permissible price are crucial. More: Tax cuts or price ceilings? The Bundesregierung gets tangled in fuel price relief.