Electric cars
The Cartel Office does not want to offer a charging station price comparison
The Cartel Office continually compiles the fuel prices from various gas stations so that consumers can compare them. However, when it comes to charging station prices, this is risky, says the head of the authority.
The head of the Cartel Office, Andreas Mundt, considers central recording of prices at electric car charging stations to be risky. “When it comes to charging stations, I fear that central recording and publication of all prices could make it easier for providers to coordinate their prices,” said the President of the Federal Cartel Office to the “Rheinische Post”.
The cartel office constantly records petrol and diesel prices
Things are different when it comes to fuel prices: “We actually advise drivers with combustion engines to access and compare fuel prices using the relevant apps. This way you can save a lot of money,” said Mundt. Since 2013, the Federal Cartel Office has been continuously monitoring the fuel prices at around 15,000 gas stations in Germany via the Market Transparency Office for Fuels and making the data available to various providers of comparison apps.
Mundt explains why he believes the price-fixing argument does not apply to fuels: “(…) the mineral oil companies had always closely monitored each other’s prices at the gas stations before the introduction of the market transparency office and adjusted their pricing accordingly.” Only since the cartel office recorded prices centrally have drivers had the opportunity to compare.
dpa
Source: Stern
