End of the tank discount: the mineral oil industry advises filling up in good time

The tank discount ends at the end of August - fuel prices could rise as a result.

End of the tank discount: the mineral oil industry advises filling up in good time

The tank discount ends at the end of August - fuel prices could rise as a result. The petroleum industry is now advising not to wait until the last minute to fill up. "Long queues or even supply bottlenecks" at the gas stations are to be expected.

The mineral oil industry warns of possible bottlenecks at the gas stations at the end of the tank discount. The expiry of the tax break at the end of August represents a "logistical challenge for the industry", explained the mineral oil association En2x in a statement.

The low water on the Rhine and the high utilization of the freight rail would make matters worse. From September, around 65 cents in tax per liter of petrol will be due again and no longer 35 cents. In the case of diesel, it will then be 47 cents instead of the current 33 cents per liter, explained En2x. However, the gas station prices could be "higher or lower" than the pure change in the energy tax would lead one to expect.

In order to avoid "long queues or even supply bottlenecks", the association advised motorists to always refuel in good time. At the beginning of September there will probably only be a little cheaper fuel on offer. Consumers should therefore "not drive to the gas station with an almost empty tank".

In the past few days there had already been warnings of a price shock when the tank discount ended. In July, the fuel discount together with the 9-euro ticket helped to dampen the high inflation in Germany. Recently, for example, demands for a successor regulation of the tank discount had become loud from the left.

At the beginning of June, the energy tax on fuel was reduced for a limited period of three months. From the point of view of the ADAC, however, the fuel prices are clearly too expensive compared to the price of crude oil and the dollar exchange rate. In the political debate, an excess profit tax for high profits caused by the crisis.