With the end of the so-called tank discount, motorists in Germany have to be prepared for significantly higher fuel prices. The Federal Association of Independent Gas Stations (BFT) expects a significant increase in the night to Thursday or in the early morning hours of September 1st.

"I assume that we will initially see a large price premium," said the association's chairman Duraid El Obeid of the German Press Agency. "In the course of the day and in the coming days, however, this will certainly melt away again when competitive effects set in."

Old tax rates after September 1st

The "fuel rebate" is actually a reduction in energy taxes on fuel to the minimum allowable in the EU. It was introduced three months ago to relieve drivers in view of the overall high energy costs. From midnight on September 1st, the old tax rates will apply again for petrol and diesel. Including VAT, the price for premium E10 petrol will increase by 35 cents per liter and 17 cents more per liter for diesel.

However, the lower tax rates also applied to gas station operators - some of them should still have cheap fuel in stock on Thursday, which they can also sell at a correspondingly lower price. However, El Obeid assumes that the tanks will be empty. The reason for this is primarily logistical problems with rail and water transport of fuels. In addition, many gas station operators had made losses when the discount was introduced because they had previously sold expensive petrol immediately after the tax reduction, said the association chairman. "Commercially speaking, it is now necessary to compensate for these losses."