Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas – Anyone who has to drive a lot for private or professional reasons spends a lot of money on petrol every month. Fortunately, there are various ways to reduce the cost of refueling.
How do you fill up cheaply? This is how you can save money when refueling
Depending on your driving behavior, the cost of gasoline per year can add up to a four or even five-digit amount. The following 15 tips will help you significantly reduce these costs and thus fuel cheaply.
Table of Contents
Best Ways to Save Money on Gas
Choose an economical car
If you drive regularly and a lot, you should pay attention to fuel consumption when purchasing your car. To make this decision easier, the ADAC regularly publishes an overview of the most economical gasoline engines in all classes .
Refueling needs to be planned
Price-conscious refueling requires some planning. Therefore, if possible, do not empty the tank to the last drop and then fill up at the nearest gas station. Instead, plan your next tank fill strategically. Depending on the gas station you choose and the time of day, this can save you a lot of money .
Compare gas prices online
Numerous websites on the Internet allow you to compare prices at local gas stations. The information provided on these pages is provided by the Market Transparency Office of the Federal Cartel Office and is therefore reliable.
Since petrol prices can differ at different petrol stations, it is always worth doing an online petrol comparison before filling up.
Compare gas prices via an app
Gasoline price comparisons can be carried out not only online, but also conveniently via an app. By using such a comparison app, nothing stands in the way of cheap refueling on the go. The apps approved for this purpose, which refer to the prices of the market transparency office of the Federal Cartel Office, are published .
Fill up at the right time of day
Gasoline prices fluctuate throughout the day. While they peak in the morning between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m., the price drops slightly in the morning before rising again just in time for lunch.
In order to save money on refueling, it is worth choosing the right time to fill the tank. The best time to do this is between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., when prices are lowest.
Fill up on weekdays
When it comes to choosing the right time to refuel, not only the time but also the day of the week plays a role. If you want to fill up cheaply, you should fill up on weekdays if possible.
Since more people find time to fill up on weekends and therefore demand for gasoline is higher, gasoline prices begin to rise on Friday afternoons and reach a peak at midday on Sundays.
Therefore, fill up on weekdays if possible.
Note holidays and holidays
The cost of gas increases just in time for the holidays or the day before the holidays. Price increases of up to 12 cents per liter can occasionally be observed here.
In order to fill up cheaply, avoid filling up before holidays or at the start of your vacation.
Use free gas stations
Gasoline prices are subject to competition. For this reason, there are often enormous price differences between individual gas station operators.
Large companies like Aral or Shell have high advertising and personnel expenses that they have to pass on to customers. The petrol prices from these providers are correspondingly more expensive here.
Independent gas stations, which have lower costs, are often one to three cents cheaper and thus enable you to save money when filling up.
Use vending machine gas stations
Since there are no costs for staff at automatic filling stations, gasoline can be offered particularly cheaply here. In order to save on refueling, it is worth filling the tank at such a filling station.
However, if you want to go to the nearest vending machine gas station, you should do some research first. Many of these providers require special fuel cards.
Fill up in the neighboring country
For drivers in border regions, driving across the border to fill up a tank of fuel can be worthwhile. Gasoline in Poland, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Austria is definitely cheaper than in Germany.
However, a trip to the Netherlands, Belgium or Denmark is not worth it. Fuel prices tend to be higher there.
Get off the highway
Gasoline prices are usually highest on the highways. During the holiday season, prices here can be up to 15% higher than at gas stations in town.
In order to fill up cheaply, you should avoid going to a motorway gas station. If the detour isn’t too long, you can save €3 to €5 by driving away to fill up the tank.
Use bonus system
Saving on fuel is also possible through bonus systems.
While you save one cent per liter of petrol at Shell, Agip and Star by presenting an ADAC card, you can score points at Aral with a PayBack card. In order to fill up cheaply, rely on the bonus systems offered.
Avoid premium fuels
Many branded gas stations today offer premium fuels that are intended to provide more performance with lower consumption. Gas stations are happy to pay dearly for these premium fuels.
Pay with a credit card
Some banks offer credit cards that offer a gas discount. If you pay with a credit card at the gas station, a 1% – 5% discount will be immediately deducted from the gasoline price. Over the course of a year, you can save between 20 and 75 euros , depending on how frequently you fill up .
However, you should take into account the annual fees that apply to some credit cards and can therefore negate this financial advantage. It is therefore more worthwhile to use a credit card that may only offer a small fuel discount, but has no annual fees over the long term
Saving money on gas is not difficult
In times of high gasoline prices, driving can become very expensive. It’s good that through careful planning, researching the cheapest gas price in the area and using bonus programs, you can save three-digit amounts every year. If you choose a particularly economical model the next time you buy a car, the trip to the gas station won’t hurt your wallet as much.