Current data shows how the fuel discount affects fuel prices. There are differences between diesel and gasoline, Shell and Aral. But the location of the gas station also plays a role.
The passing on of the fuel discount varies depending on the type of fuel, time of day and location of the gas station, with less tax relief on weekends.
The discount for E5 petrol was temporarily 17.1 cents above the reduced tax, while diesel remained lower at 14.2 cents.
At motorway gas stations, the discount is passed on at nine cents for diesel, which is lower than in large cities and rural communities at eleven cents.
The price difference between corporate and independent gas stations for diesel fell from 3.54 cents in September to 2.77 cents in October.
Dusseldorf. After the start of the fuel discount at the beginning of the month, current data now shows the extent to which the reduced tax is being received by drivers. The price varies depending on the type of fuel and time of day. The comparison between corporate and independent gas stations is particularly striking.
On October 1st, the federal government introduced a fuel discount for the second time this year, in response to the sharp rise in fuel prices as a result of the Iran War. The law provides for a reduction in energy tax by 14 cents per liter by the end of December 2026, which, including the elimination of VAT, corresponds to a relief of around 17 cents per liter for consumers.
There is criticism of the current tank discount, as was the case with the tank discounts in 2022 and this spring. Economists particularly criticize the strong intervention in price formation. The higher fuel prices would actually be an incentive to buy less fuel. With the reduced tax, this incentive has at least been weakened.
In addition, the oil companies and other market players along the supply chain do not pass on the fuel discount in full to the end customers. This is confirmed by the fuel discount monitor from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) and the fuel discount tracker by the Ifo Institute. Both analyzes document the effects of the tax measure.
The data shows that sharing is also not constant. Especially on weekends, only a smaller portion of the tax reduction reaches the pumps.
“The oil companies calculate when they can increase their margins without alienating consumers,” says Florian Neumeier, deputy head of the Ifo Center for Financial Science. And since many people cannot use alternatives to cars for weekend activities, they tend to accept the higher prices.
The extent to which price sensitivity plays a role in passing on the fuel discount can also be seen in the types of fuel. Last week there was a clear difference: While the discount for E5 petrol was almost completely passed on and was 16.5 cents, it was only 14 cents for diesel.
On the demand side, this can be explained by which groups are more likely to use diesel: professional drivers and owners of company vehicles. Because if you have to drive long distances because of your job, you can't save much on refueling.
On the other hand, the fuel supply also influences how the discount is passed on. While Germany can cover its own gasoline consumption, it has to import a large part of its diesel. “The longer the supply chain, the more opportunities there are to capture profits,” says Neumeier.
There is less benefit from the fuel discount on the motorway
The location of the gas station also affects the extent to which the reduced energy tax reaches consumers: at motorway gas stations, a liter of diesel cost an average of nine cents less between October 1st and 21st than in the previous month.
In large cities and rural communities it was at least eleven cents. This is shown by data that the consumer information service “Tanken Tanken” made available exclusively to the Handelsblatt.
Prices on the motorway are also noticeably higher. Anyone who travels there with an almost empty tank usually has no choice and has to accept higher costs. This means that the fuel discount is passed on lower. The difference between city and country is minimal and only noticeable from the second decimal place onwards.
Corporations pass on the discount to a greater extent
Meanwhile, customers of corporate gas stations such as Aral or Shell pay higher prices than drivers who get their fuel from independent gas stations, even with reduced prices. However, the data shows that the gap has narrowed since the beginning of October.
In September, the average price difference between company-owned and independent gas stations was 3.54 cents per liter of diesel. Between October 1st and 21st it fell to 2.77 cents. “Corporations don’t just make money from selling fuel,” says Neumeier from the Ifo Institute. “Independent gas stations, on the other hand, always have to be careful about their margins.” The incentive for them to pass on the discount is therefore lower.
The previous discounts can provide information about how the fuel discount will affect prices in the next two months. In both 2022 and between early May and late June 2026, gas stations passed on less to consumers toward the end of the rebate period.
This time, the holidays around New Year and Christmas are an additional factor. During this time, many people will want to travel long distances on vacation or to visit their families. Carl Kreuzberg, who is jointly responsible for the fuel discount monitor at DIW, says: “It is plausible that this could have a negative impact on the passing on of the fuel discount.”
