When is it cheapest to fill up?

Since 1 April 2026, Germany's Fuel Price Adjustment Act (Kraftstoffpreisanpassungsgesetz) has applied: petrol stations may raise their prices for Super E5, Super E10 and diesel only once a day, at 12 noon. They may lower them at any time and as often as they like. Before that, some stations changed their prices up to 50 times a day; according to the Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), the average is now about eight changes.

Germany's Market Transparency Unit for Fuels (Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe, MTS-K) at the Federal Cartel Office monitors the rule. According to its quarterly report of July 2026, almost 98 per cent of price reports comply with it. Violations are pursued by the federal states (Bundesländer).

Prices fall overnight and during the morning, because stations may only adjust their prices downwards. Just before 12 noon, fuel is therefore usually at its cheapest. At 12 noon, many stations raise their prices at the same time, in some cases by ten cents or more. After that, prices ease off step by step: by about 6 to 7 pm, according to the Market Transparency Unit, 70 to 80 per cent of the jump has been worked off again. In the evening, fuel is therefore usually cheaper than at midday, but dearer than in the morning.

It used to be: expensive in the morning, cheap in the evening. Prices reached their peak at around 7 am and were usually lowest between 7 and 10 pm. That pattern no longer applies since the 12 noon rule – older tips and apps that still advise filling up in the evening are out of date.

The time of day has a bigger effect than the day of the week. The place matters far more: at motorway petrol stations, fuel is usually considerably more expensive than in town – if you can, fill up before you join the motorway. Even between stations in the same city, there are often several cents per litre of difference. Where the differences come from is explained in the guide Price differences.

• If possible, fill up in the morning, shortly before 12 noon.
• Avoid the hours right after 12 noon.
• Before you set off, compare prices in your city – the time of day is no substitute for comparing.
• Don't drive every detour – the detour calculator shows whether it is worthwhile.
• Fill up with E10 if your car can take it – more in E10 or E5?

• Federal Cartel Office: the 12 noon rule for fuel prices (in German)
• Federal Cartel Office: quarterly report of the Market Transparency Unit, 10 July 2026 (in German)