Better in the West refuel – An inventory of gasoline and diesel prices at the start of the vacations

The good news is that diesel will be about 22 per cent cheaper across Germany in mid-June 2023 than it was last year. The difference is smaller for Super E5, but here too the litre costs almost 7.5 per cent less than in 2022. A stocktaking of fuel prices in Germany shows that it is advisable to fill up in the west for the upcoming holiday in Germany. In the first two weeks of June, diesel and petrol prices were cheapest on average in the western supply area. The lowest pump price for super is paid in North Rhine-Westphalia at 1.825 euros per litre, while the lowest price for a litre of diesel is paid in Rhineland-Palatinate at 1.552 euros. The highest price for super petrol is in Bavaria and Thuringia at a good 1.86 euros per litre.  There is a clear east-west divide for diesel. In Brandenburg and Berlin, at just over 1.60 euros per litre, people pay about five cents more than in the west of the republic. But the start of the holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia seems to be casting its shadow here, because in May the price advantage in the west over the rest of the republic was still significantly higher than at the current margin.

The different fuel prices in the federal states correlate strongly with the supply areas of the German refineries. The refineries in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, which are supplied with oil via pipeline from Rotterdam, currently sell the cheapest fuel. The most expensive diesel, on the other hand, comes from the refinery in Schwedt, which only turned away from Russian oil towards the end of last year.   

Looking beyond Germany's borders, the picture is mixed. In Scandinavia, filling up is becoming more expensive than at home, especially for diesel drivers. But in France and Belgium, too, people are currently paying more for both types of fuel than in North Rhine-Westphalia. In most EU member states, however, prices at the pumps are well below the domestic level.