The federal government’s idea with the one-off price increase per day is a good one. Find Mike Weißenfels – and he needs to know. After all, gas prices have been his life for more than ten years.

Weißenfels, 48, runs “Gasoline Price Blitz,” an app that helps drivers always find the cheapest gas station in their area. “In my opinion, price increases only once a day are a good solution,” he says.

“Gasoline Price Blitz” developer refers to the Austria model

He does not share fears that the oil companies could maximize profits and raise prices unreasonably. Austria, which Weißenfels has also been serving with its app for years, already uses the once-a-day model. His experience: “It is more reliable – and if you take the average prices, they are not higher.”

Since the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began around two weeks ago, prices at German gas stations have continued to rise almost daily.

Access to the tank app has quadrupled since the Iran war

At the beginning of the current week, Super E10 broke the two-euro mark on a nationwide daily average.

The price for a liter of diesel is now beyond 2.10 euros; before the start of the war it was around 1.75 euros.

In this context, Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) also announced this week that gas stations should only be allowed to increase prices once a day. Federal politicians are pushing for this model to be introduced as early as next week.

“Daily access to the app has almost quadrupled since the start of the war” Mike Weißenfels, Tank App Developer

Regardless, the sharp increase in fuel prices is currently giving the web developer Weißenfels long days. Drivers are alarmed.

“Daily access to the app has almost quadrupled since the start of the war,” says Weißenfels. Instead of 250,000 hits a day, the app currently records almost a million.

“That drives people crazy”

However, people don’t just compare, they also contact the developer personally. “It’s often about the fact that the prices have already changed when you arrive at the gas station,” says Weißenfels.

More than 30 price changes per day are not uncommon; the Federal Cartel Office has even counted over 50. “That drives people crazy,” says Weissenfels.

A look at the biofuel HVO100 makes it clear that there are calculations on the part of the mineral oil companies behind the rising prices. It is made from old cooking oil or animal fats and contains no fossil oil. Nevertheless, the ADAC complains that the price per liter has risen from 1.74 euros two weeks ago to 2.18 euros. For the car club, this is a clear case of profit maximization.

How helpful are tank apps?

It’s clear that apps can’t lower prices either. However, they can help you save. After all, the difference between the most expensive and the cheapest gas station within a city is up to seven cents per liter, the ADAC has observed.

Basically, the applications work like “1-2-3 Tanken”, “ADAC Drive”, “Benzinpreis.de”, “Clever Tanken”, “Tankste!” or “gasoline price blitz” are all similar in that they tap into the real-time data from the market transparency office of the Federal Cartel Office via an interface.

Drivers indicate their location – or the place where they want to refuel – the type of fuel and the radius they are willing to drive. The result can usually be sorted by distance or price, and next to it it says when the price information comes from.

The approximately 15,000 gas stations in this country are obliged to report any price changes to the cartel office inspectors virtually in real time. Individual apps such as “Mehr-Refuelen” also rely on data provided by users.

The right moment noticeably saves money

At least as effective as regular comparison is the right time. If you fill up in the evening, you’re almost always right: from around 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Depending on which expert you ask, the period is sometimes a little earlier or later, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.

One thing is also certain: Anyone who fills up between 7 and 8 a.m. is definitely paying too much – this applies in the current crisis as in any other situation. According to the ADAC, the price of petrol in the morning and evening was an average of 12.5 cents per liter. With a 50-liter filling, that’s more than six euros.

Almost all petrol cars in stock are suitable for Super E10. The ADAC motorists’ club recommends cheaper driving with a higher proportion of bioethanol in the fuel.

The logic of the petroleum companies and gas station chains is simple: If you are pressed for time in the morning, fill up without comparing too much. Anyone who has time in the evening is looking.

App developer Weißenfels advises taking a closer look. Most gas stations have their own pattern. “Take a look at the price trends at your regular gas station over a few days – this will give you a good idea of ​​when the next trip there will be worth it,” he says.

More organic, lower costs

Gasoline engines that are younger than 15 years can usually tolerate Super E10 with a ten percent bioethanol content. According to the ADAC, the bad reputation that the fuel has compared to Super E5 is unfounded. “Almost all petrol cars in stock are suitable for Super E10,” says the motorists’ club. If you are still skeptical, you will find relevant information in the tank cap or in the operating instructions for your car.

Because E5 is significantly more expensive due to the low proportion of bioethanol at the pump, those filling up with E10 save an average of five to six cents per liter.

Driving with savings potential

In the driving school there was a lot of good advice about saving fuel – including always driving with foresight. Sounds boring, but suddenly becomes exciting when fuel prices are high. Don’t brake suddenly, shift into higher gears early: traffic and consumer experts say that this can save up to 20 percent fuel.

Those who forego amenities will also be rewarded: according to ADAC tests, the air conditioning alone increases consumption by ten to 15 percent.

A tire pressure that is just 0.3 bar too low can lead to unnecessary additional consumption. The consumer advice centers recommend checking the air pressure.

If you also check the tire pressure regularly and fill it up to the recommended value, you will noticeably reduce rolling resistance – and thus noticeably reduce fuel consumption. “A tire pressure that is just 0.3 bar too low can lead to unnecessary additional consumption,” says the consumer advice centers.

This may sound like small stuff. Calculated over a full year, with daily commuting, for example, it is not. At the current price level, the experts agree that several hundred euros could be saved per year.

Change the drive

Mike Weißenfels’ personal savings tip: switch to an electric car. This initially costs money to purchase. However, you will permanently get out of the corporate price carousel.

Weißenfels doesn’t seem to be entirely alone in this idea. Online platforms such as Carwow and Meinauto.de say they have registered increased customer interest in electric cars since the start of the war and the sharp rise in fuel prices.

App developer Weißenfels has been driving electric for some time now: because of the driving experience and the low cost per kilometer, as he says. “I prefer to charge on my wallbox at home when the sun shines on the PV system.” He no longer needs his app to drive.