Germany’s temporary cut to the energy tax on petrol and diesel — in force from 1 October until 31 December 2026 — promised a quick relief of roughly 17 cents per litre at the pump. New monitoring from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) shows that, in the first month, drivers received only part of that relief: average price reductions of 10.2–11.2 cents per litre, i.e. roughly 61–67% of the fiscal cut. This matters for drivers, dealers and cross‑border shoppers in Germany and Austria because the expected savings did not fully materialise at the nozzle.
What the government cut actually was
The federal government temporarily lowered the energy tax on motor fuels by 14.04 cents per litre; with the VAT calculation this equals an effective reduction of about 17 cents per litre at the pump. The measure was agreed by the cabinet and implemented from 1 October 2026 to 31 December 2026 as a time‑limited relief for households and businesses.
What the data shows
DIW’s Tankrabatt‑Monitor, with observations up to 2 November 2026 (status 3 November 2026), reports average reductions of 10.2 cents/litre for Super E10 (61% of the tax cut), 10.8 cents/litre for Super E5 (64%) and 11.2 cents/litre for diesel (67%). DIW calculates these numbers from daily pump‑price data and cross‑border comparisons; its running monitor highlights that the full fiscal relief has not been passed on uniformly at station level.
The automobile club ADAC made a similar point in its October review: average fuel prices fell in October after September’s highs, and the tax reduction was “largely” passed on for petrol but only “partially” for diesel—prompting ADAC to demand consistent implementation at the pumps.
