German motoring group calls for end to once-daily fuel price hikes

The ADAC motoring association has called for Germany to scrap a rule that allows petrol stations to raise fuel prices only once a day, at noon, saying it has failed to bring down prices for drivers.

The rule has significantly reduced the number of daily price changes and made increases more predictable, but prices have not fallen, the ADAC said.

Instead, the gap between the highest and lowest prices during the day has widened significantly.

The rule has been in force since April 1. Petrol stations can raise petrol and diesel prices only once a day, at 12 pm, although they can cut prices at any time.

Drivers who need to fill up after noon face unjustifiably higher costs, the ADAC said.

The association said the rule had failed to achieve its objective from a consumer perspective. "It should therefore be abolished," ADAC transport president Peter König said.

Germany's ZEW economic research institute also found in April that the rule had led to higher average prices, with fuel generally more expensive from midday into the evening and cheaper in the morning.

The crisis in the Middle East has sent fuel prices in Germany to a series of record highs. 

Meanwhile, the ADAC welcomed the government's temporary reduction in the energy tax, calling it the most realistic way to provide relief for drivers.

It also said a planned state cap on fuel prices could protect consumers from extreme short-term spikes, but would not automatically guarantee permanently lower prices.