Overview

• The Bundesrat is set to debate on 17 October a Baden-Württemberg proposal asking the federal government to cap petrol stations to one price increase per day, modeled on Austria.
• ADAC expert Christian Laberer cautions the rule could trigger larger single hikes and raise daily average prices for motorists.
• Laberer notes Austria’s cheapest window typically occurs just before the noon increase, which is inconvenient for many workers, whereas German prices often fall toward evening.
• The service-station association TIV supports the measure as stabilizing for consumers, and Bundesrat insiders indicate approval is considered plausible given a similar 2012 stance.
• The Bundeskartellamt reports prices now change about 18–20 times daily per station, sometimes over 50, and observers say Austria’s system improved transparency but did not deliver clear savings, with lower prices there largely driven by taxes.