It was supposed to be a rescue for drivers, but it is more expensive. The Germans went to Poland for fuel

Thursday afternoon fuel prices in Germany rose again, even though new regulations to limit the increases have been in force since Wednesday. According to data from the ADAC car club, after The price of 12 liters of E10 petrol and diesel increased by over 9 euro cents. German media describe the situation as a price shock for drivers who did not receive the expected relief.

In the afternoon, a liter of E10 petrol cost 2,198 euros, about 9 cents more than in the morning. The price of diesel oil increased even more, increasing by approximately 11 cents and reaching EUR 2,415 per liter. ADAC noted, however, that these were the maximum values ​​recorded in the afternoon, and not the average prices for the entire day.

Fuel prices in Germany are rising despite new restrictions

From Wednesday, regulations are in force in Germany, according to which gas stations can only raise prices once a day, at noon. At the same time, discounts are possible at any time. The changes were supposed to limit the scale of increases, but the first days showed that the situation turned out differently.

Already on the first day after the new rules came into force, prices went up significantly. The average daily price of a liter of diesel was EUR 2,327, which was 0.6 cents higher than the previous record in March 2022. The price of E10 petrol also increased, reaching an average of EUR 2,129 per liter, the highest this year.

Fuel prices in Germany hit diesel the hardest

Diesel prices are rising particularly rapidly. The dpa agency points out that this is due to the great importance of diesel oil for many sectors of the economy. This concerns primarily logistics, agriculture and construction, i.e. industries that are particularly sensitive to increases in fuel costs.

The new regulations are criticized by both ADAC and consumer organizations. In their opinion, the regulations have not brought the expected reductions, and oil companies add a risk premium to prices, since they can introduce increases only once a day. According to “Die Welt”, the state is also one of the beneficiaries of high fuel prices.

Fuel prices in Germany are pushing drivers to Poland

The newspaper calculated that additional fuel tax revenues in March were approximately EUR 320 million higher than they would have been if prices had remained at the February level, before the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. German media emphasize that the promised relief for drivers has not come, and the situation at stations is becoming more and more tense.

As a result, many Germans started looking for cheaper fuel on the Polish side of the border. The “Focus” magazine portal emphasized that border stations in Poland are experiencing increased traffic. In recent days, long queues have been forming in front of distributors in Polish cities near the border with Germany. German media estimate that in practice “fuel tourism” is flourishing there.