A study carried out in Germany but applicable to service stations across Europe including in France saw that the price per litre of fuel could change by up to 13 cents across a single day, regardless of weekly price shifts.
The country’s leading driving club ADAC conducted the survey, covering 14,000 service stations. The study indicated that the pricing is effectively dynamic according to consumption habits and real time demand.
It found that in general, refuelling a vehicle between 06:00 and 08:00 is the most expensive, as people are leaving for work and refuelling on the way, or tradespeople are filling their vehicles before work. Prices remain similar until around 13:00, and slowly start dropping until the time service stations close.
Out of this wider period, optimal time periods to refuel were shown to be between 19:00 - 20:00, and 21:00 - 22:00 or just before close.
While both petrol and diesel prices are affected, the changes are slightly more prominent for the latter, with comparatively higher morning prices.
The study also revealed that, while these price fluctuations are more common than in 2024, they almost always occur at the same time periods, meaning drivers can plan ahead.
Full story Save Money on Fuel: Best Times to Refuel Your Car in France.
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