Controversial tank discount: According to the study, the price advantage reaches the consumer

Created: 07/30/2022, 15:38

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

The effect of the tank discount was highly controversial when it was introduced - according to a study, however, the price advantage is well received by consumers.

The fuel prices, which exploded at the beginning of the Ukraine war, made life difficult for German drivers.

In order to help them, the so-called tank discount was introduced - however, right from the start there were doubts as to whether this was actually passed on to consumers in the end.

On social media, many motorists expressed their anger at the high prices on the side of the gas station operators.

Even the Federal Cartel Office saw signs of violations by the corporations.

But according to a study, the fuel discount has reached German motorists.

According to a study, the tank discount mostly goes down to consumers.

(Iconic image) © Wolfgang Maria Weber/Imago

Controversial tank discount: According to the study, the price advantage reaches the consumer

This is the preliminary result of the Essen “RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research”, which compared gas station prices in Germany and France.

As the researchers report, before the introduction of the tank discount, German diesel prices were more than 13 cents per liter higher than in the neighboring country.

In June, however, the relationship reversed, with prices falling 8 cents below the level in France.

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Study on the tank discount: Researchers compare prices with those in neighboring France

If you now look at the difference between the before and after values ​​of 21 cents, according to the experts, this indicates that the tank discount of around 17 cents per liter of diesel is at least largely, if not entirely, due to consumers and consumers had been passed on.

The situation is similar when it comes to the prices for Super E10: The before-and-after difference is 31.5 cents and thus just under the price advantage of 35 cents from the tank discount.

E10 has since returned to pre-Ukraine war levels, but diesel remains expensive.

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Study on the tank discount: RWI takes a critical view of the measure

Nevertheless, the researchers explain that a final and more precise judgment can only be made after the benefits expire at the end of August.

In general, the RWI experts take a critical view of the tank discount: “Despite being passed on to drivers, the tank discount makes no sense either from a distribution or from an ecological point of view.

Because the tank discount is more likely to help the wealthy than the poor households,” says Manuel Frondel, head of the “Environment and Resources” competence area at RWI.

“They often don’t even own a car.

In addition, the fuel discount is ecologically counterproductive: it does not encourage people to use less petrol and diesel.

But that is exactly what would be necessary for ecological reasons.”