Overview
- The Tankrabatt took effect at midnight on 1 October and price trackers and many stations recorded immediate falls of about 10 to 11 cents per litre within the first hour.
- The law reduces the energy tax at the point fuel leaves refineries and tank storage by 14.04 cents, which lowers the VAT base and gives a theoretical 16.7‑cent-per‑litre cut at the pump if retailers pass it on.
- Stations are not legally required to hand the full reduction to customers, and the Bundeskartellamt found in a prior rebate that only about 80% of the cut reached drivers, so full pass‑through is uncertain.
- The federal government says the measure will cost about €2.485 billion and will be financed half by the states, and industry groups, consumer groups and institutes are monitoring regional and timing effects closely.
- If the full reduction is passed on, typical drivers would save roughly €30–€45 over three months depending on mileage and consumption, while critics warn the rebate is costly, favors frequent drivers and weakens price signals that encourage lower fuel use.