Saving on Fuel: When's the Best Time to Top Up? Let's Get Real with ADAC
Discovering Cost-Effective Fueling: ADAC Outlines the Most Economical Refueling Hours - Affordable Fueling: ADAC Reveals Optimal Times to Refuel for Lower Costs
Let's cut to the chase, my friend! Fuel prices are a beast right now, fluctuating like a roller coaster. The ADAC (General German Automobile Club) has done a deep dive into May prices, and here's what they found: The price difference between the morning high and evening low for Super E10 fuel is a staggering 12.5 cents per liter, and for diesel, it's even more at 13.3 cents. That's a massive change since last year when prices merely wavered by 6 to 7 cents!
So, what gives? Why this wild fluctuation in prices? Well, listen up, because Christian Laberer, ADAC's gas guru, has a smart tip for you:
By heeding his advice, you can make some serious savings—even more than you could last year!
The Formula for Saving Coin: Fuel Up at Night
Alright, here's the simple formula to save money: fill up in the evening instead of the morning. Did you know that fuel prices take a sharp rise around 6:00 AM, hitting their peak just after 7:00 AM, smack dab in the middle of rush hour? During this peak, diesel will set you back about 9 cents more than the daily average, and Super E10 will cost around 8 cents extra. But don't despair, because prices drop sharply after that, leveling out at only 2 cents above the daily average by around 9:00 AM.
Prices continue to dip, dropping below the daily average by midday and dipping even lower in the late afternoon and evening, reaching their lowest point just before 8:00 PM. After 10:00 PM, prices start to creep up again, staying relatively stable overnight before shooting up once more in the morning.
The ADAC has clocked eight typical price highs throughout the day, matching last year's record-setting level. However, it's important to note that individual gas stations may have more spikes, but the ADAC's analysis is based on average values.
Can You Bank on a Specific Gas Station's Lowest Price?
Back in January, the Federal Cartel Office reported that on average, gas stations in Germany underwent 22 price changes per day, with some stations making changes as many as 50 times daily! So, while you might not catch the exact lowest price in the evening, your odds of scoring a good deal are pretty solid.
So, there you have it, folks! Follow these tips, stay savvy, and watch your savings grow.
- Fuel Type
- Estimated Price (April–June 2025)
- Best Time to Fill Up
- Super E10€1.68 per literEarly morning or late evening
- Diesel€1.54–€1.57 per literEarly morning or late evening
The Commission has also been consulted on the issue of personal-finance, considering the significant savings one can make by choosing the best time to fuel up. Data-and-cloud-computing was employed by ADAC to analyze fuel prices, revealing technology-driven fluctuations in fuel prices throughout the day.
