Fuel: Cartel Office advises the use of fuel price apps

In view of the high fuel prices, the Bundeskartellamt has appealed to drivers to use the latest price apps. “Compare gas stations. Reward those who are still reasonably cheap in the current situation,” said Andreas Mundt, President of the Authority, according to a statement. The authority is currently keeping a particularly close eye on the price of diesel.

In the case of E5 and E10 super petrol, the current price increases after taxes have largely followed the development of the price of crude oil, it said. “Since July, we have recorded price increases of almost 14 percent for crude oil, among other things due to supply cuts in the supplying countries.” In the case of diesel, however, the gap between crude oil and gas station prices has increased significantly in recent weeks.

Price increases already when importing

“The reasons for the price increases for diesel are not to be found at the gas stations,” said Mundt. Since the Russian embargo, Germany has opened up new supply routes for diesel as an importing country, but is in global competition with other buyers. “This can result in larger price fluctuations: If other locations offer higher prices, more deliveries are made there. There are also current technical problems and capacity bottlenecks in local refineries.” Consequently, the current price increases are already taking place at the refinery and import level.

The price development for diesel is another reason for the authority to take a closer look: “The current price increases, especially for diesel, are further evidence that we have to continue to deal with the levels of refineries and wholesalers.” Because of the anomalies, a sector investigation is being carried out with a focus on these areas. “If we find evidence of illegal behavior, we will pursue it consistently,” said Mundt.

Notification of the Cartel Office Notification of the ADAC on Wednesday