End of the tank discount
This is the cheapest time to fill up
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We all know it: fuel prices change frequently, erratically and unpredictably over the course of the day. How to keep an overview in the confusion of prices – and at what time you save money when filling up.
August not only ended the 9-euro ticket, but also the tank discount. Now traveling by train and car has become noticeably more expensive again. The ADAC has determined how you save money when you refuel.
If one were to visualize gas prices one day, one would get a confusing zigzag curve that apparently follows no pattern, because the prices at the pumps change in unpredictable ways. According to the ADAC, this is “blank calculation”: The mineral oil companies tried to maximize their profits with the price jumps. In order to find out whether these follow a pattern, the automobile club analyzed all price movements at the 14,000 petrol stations in Germany in July 2022 and came to the following conclusions.
It is best to refuel in the evening
According to the ADAC analysis, fuel is most expensive in the morning. After prices are largely constant at night, a clear increase begins at around 5 a.m., which reaches its peak shortly after 7 a.m. Here is the highest price level of the day. The price then falls, only to rise again after 9 a.m. During the course of the day, further price peaks follow at around 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and finally from 11 p.m.
According to ADAC, fuel prices are lowest between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The period between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. is also inexpensive.
Choose the right time and the right gas station
The price difference between the most expensive time at 7 a.m. and the cheapest phase (between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.) is around 10,000 for both petrol and diesel 12 cents per liter. With a 50 liter tank filling, this makes a saving of around six euros. Choosing the right time to refuel can therefore save money. It is even cheaper to drive if you also use a cheap gas station.
Tips & Tools: On the Internet you can find out where fuel is cheapest in your own area, for example via the “ADAC Spritpreise App”, the website www.clever-tanken.de or www.billig-tanken.de .