Overview
- Over the weekend (Sept. 12–13), German station prices jumped sharply with synchronized midday spikes of around €0.20 that pushed some diesel displays above €2.50 per litre.
- Markets reacted to a drone strike on Saudi Arabia’s east–west pipeline and stepped‑up Huthi attacks that threaten the Bab al‑Mandab and Strait of Hormuz, tightening shipping routes and raising oil prices.
- A once‑daily price‑change convention at 12:00 amplified visible surges at pumps because many stations update prices only at that time, producing abrupt retail moves.
- Political pressure for relief has grown, with Brandenburg’s SPD leader Dietmar Woidke and other politicians calling for a ‘Spritpreisdeckel’ while the federal government remains split on caps or rebates.
- Industry groups published a Frontier Economics model claiming diesel would cost about €0.95/L if taxes and RED certificate costs were removed, but analysts warn low gas storage (~55%), higher refinery margins and sustained oil above $110/barrel could push diesel toward €3/L and fuel broader inflation risks.