Energy tax reduction June 1 could bring bottlenecks to petrol stations
Düsseldorf · When the energy tax is reduced on diesel and regular gasoline as part of the federal relief package in June, there could be bottlenecks. One consumer advocate advises people to not start out the month with an empty tank of gas.
When the tax on diesel and regular petrol is reduced on June 1 as part of the government federal relief package, it could be crowded at the pumps. "High demand from motorists will be met with low supply," warns Duraid El Obeid, chairman of the German Association of Independent Gas Stations and head of 140 gas stations. "June 1 could be dramatic." The tax is to fall by 14.04 cents per liter for diesel and 29.55 cents per liter for regular gasoline - the Bundestag decided late Thursday night.
Christian Küchen, CEO of the Fuels and Energy Association (En2X), is also concerned: The sharp reduction in energy taxes poses a "double challenge" for petrol station companies, he said. On the one hand, they will try to reduce their supply by June 1 in order to sell as little highly taxed fuel as possible at a lower price from June 1. On the other hand, he said, motorists can be expected to drive in masses to the pumps from June 1, of all days, to fill empty tanks. "Therefore, temporary bottlenecks at the petrol stations cannot be completely ruled out," the former Shell manager said.
The impending chaos is related to a special feature of tax law. The energy tax on gasoline is levied at the refineries and depots and not at the petrol stations themselves. So every liter of diesel that gas stations have delivered before June 1 will cost them or their partner companies like Aral/BP or Exxon 14 cents more than it will from June 1, and every liter of Super will even cost just under 30 cents more.
But from June onwards, significantly lower sales prices are to be expected overall, completely irrespective of what the cost was when purchased. "There is the threat of very high write-offs for a full supply tank of a gas station," says Udo Andrees, owner of an independent gas station in Düsseldorf. "Ideally, every petrol station operator will run inventories down to almost zero before June 1, in order to then receive three full tankers of merchandise early in the morning at cheaper purchase prices." But Andrees fears a cut-throat fight: "The brand-name groups will certainly try to use their market power to secure preferential deliveries on June 1.”
The market leader Aral is also preparing for turbulent days. "We are prepared, the logistics chains are robustly set up so that deliveries to petrol stations are possible at short notice," explains the group. However, the company hopes that many customers will follow the advice and not let their tank empty down to the last liter at the end of May.
The fuel discount will expire at the end of August. “One can only advise motorists to fill up their tanks before it becomes more expensive again," says consumer protection expert Schuldzinski. Conversely, the gas stations will then replenish their supplies as far as possible. "Then they will probably cash in by passing on cheaply obtained fuel at a high price. The antitrust authorities should continue to keep a close eye on this market.”
