Mobilitätskosten: Spritpreise sinken bereits vor Tankrabatt deutlich

As of Thursday, fuel prices have already dipped before the expected tank rebate takes effect, according to data from the ADAC. At 10:00 AM on Wednesday, Super E10 was 4.2 cents cheaper than on Tuesday at the same time, while diesel prices dropped by 3.9 cents. Just before the price surge around midday, both petrol and diesel were about 5 cents lower than 24 hours prior.

The midday price increase on Wednesday was, however, slightly higher than the recent trend. The prices had already dropped in the national average on Tuesday. A liter of E10 cost 2.258 euros, which is 1.8 cents less than on Monday, while diesel prices fell by 1.6 cents to 2.409 euros. The reasons behind the noticeable price drop at the pumps are not clearly defined, says the ADAC.

"However, the recent relaxation in international oil markets could play a role. In addition, fuel prices had recently reached an unusually high level." The price development also shows that there is room for price reductions even at the current high price level. At midnight, the rebate of 16.7 cents per liter comes into effect. It affects only petrol, which leaves the storage tanks and refineries after midnight.

The Fuel and Energy Association (en2x) expects, however, that the rebate will be fully passed on immediately. "The new reduction in energy and value-added tax will be fully passed on without restrictions and additions at midnight on October 1st, as was the case in May and June," says the association's CEO, Christian Küchen. The ADAC is more skeptical.

"The prices will gradually decrease," says fuel market expert Christian Laberer. "We call for a complete and as fast as possible distribution, but there is a fear that there could be absorption effects, so that the full tax rebate does not reach the car driver." The en2x disagrees with this, citing the "intensive competition" among 14,000 gas stations in Germany.

"Studies that claim otherwise usually do not take into account that besides the tax rates, other cost factors often change that are just as relevant for pricing at the pumps," Küchen emphasizes. However, there are further critical voices on this topic: When the tank rebate in May and June, the Ifo Institute, the Monopol Commission, and the Federal Cartel Office concluded that the rebate was largely, but not entirely, passed on.

The en2x has always disputed this. No bottlenecks are expected for Thursday as the ADAC does not foresee them. "This was also not the case last time in May, and the additional problem of May 1st being a holiday was present then," says fuel market expert Laberer.