Slash Your Fuel Costs: Save Big by Filling Up Smarter, Not Harder
Prices for gasoline surge by approximately 13 cents during mornings compared to evenings. - Morning fuel prices are 13 cents higher compared to evening prices.
Curious about how to stretch your fuel budget further? Look no further! According to recent ADAC analysis, there's a golden opportunity to save a pretty penny (or several euros) on gasoline and diesel just by tweaking your usual refueling routine.
Fuel prices are on a rollercoaster, with Super E10 now 12.5 cents per liter more expensive in the morning than in the evening, and diesel even beating that mark by 13.3 cents! This is the priciest difference for E10 that ADAC has ever seen, and the second highest for diesel yet. In contrast, last year's price differences barely reached six to seven cents — quite the difference!
"With these wild swings in fuel prices throughout the day, flexibility is key," advises ADAC fuel market expert Christian Laberer. "Adopting a refueling routine that takes advantage of the price lows can save you more than last year, big-time."
Morning is expensive, evening is easy on the wallet
The clear-cut rule of thumb: Fuel up in the evening instead of the morning. Prices start to skyrocket around 6:00 AM, reaching their daily high shortly after 7:00 AM, during rush hour. At this precise moment, diesel is an average of 9 cents more expensive than the daily average, and Super E10 is 8 cents pricier. However, prices then plummet sharply, and by around 9:00 AM, they're only 2 cents above the daily average, before rising slightly and then swinging wildly towards the evening low. Around noon, fuel prices are already about 2 cents below the daily average, and around 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM, and 10:00 PM, they're even around 4 cents cheaper, with the low around 8:00 PM being slightly more favorable than the others. After 10:00 PM, prices start to creep back up and remain relatively stable overnight before surging again the next morning.
Altogether, there are eight typical price peaks throughout the day, the same record count as last year. Individual gas stations might experience many more price changes, but ADAC's analysis is based on average values. At the beginning of the year, the Federal Cartel Office found an average of 22 price changes per gas station, with some stations experiencing over 50 changes in a day! So, while hitting the exact price low in the evening isn't guaranteed, your chances are definitely good.
Pro Tip: Monitor daily trends with fuel price apps like clever-tanken, PACE Drive, or ryd to find the cheapest stations near you, regardless of the time of day. These apps also offer real-time updates, provided that fuel stations report price changes within five minutes to the Market Transparency Unit. Note: Though weekday mornings might see somewhat cheaper fuel prices in some regions, this isn't a hard-and-fast rule. Keep a close eye on fuel prices throughout the week for the best results. Enjoy your savings and happy refueling!
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- ADAC
- E10
- Super gasoline
- Gasoline prices
- Diesel fuel
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- Price monitoring
- Community tips from ADAC fuel market expert Christian Laberer suggest adopting an evening refueling routine to save on fuel costs, as fuel prices are an average of 9 cents lower for diesel and 8 cents lower for Super E10 in the evening compared to the morning.
- In the technology sector, fuel price apps such as clever-tanken, PACE Drive, and ryd can assist users by providing real-time updates on the cheapest fuel stations in their vicinity, aiding in finance savings on fuel costs.
- The industry of retail is not far behind, with energy companies offering their own fuel cards that provide discounts and rewards for frequent fuel purchases, further helping consumers save on their employment policy-related fuel expenses.
