From 1 October to 31 December 2026, Germany’s energy tax (Energiesteuer) is €514.10 per 1,000 litres of petrol and €330.00 per 1,000 litres of diesel (both with at most 10 mg/kg of sulphur). From July to September the regular rates of €654.50 per 1,000 litres of petrol and €470.40 per 1,000 litres of diesel applied. The legal basis is section 68(1) of the Energy Tax Act; German Customs announced the cut on 29 September 2026.
What changes
| Fuel | July – September 2026 | 1 October – 31 December 2026 | Effect per litre, incl. 19% VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol (Super E5 and E10) | €654.50 | €514.10 | −16.7 cents |
| Diesel | €470.40 | €330.00 | −16.7 cents |
What it means at the pump
€140.40 per 1,000 litres is 14.04 cents per litre; with 19% VAT that is about 16.7 cents less per litre for both petrol and diesel, if the pre-tax price stays the same. That is the “17 cents per litre” figure German Customs gives as the effect for consumers. In the European Commission’s Weekly Oil Bulletin, the German average on 5 October 2026 was €2.196 per litre of Euro-super 95 petrol and €2.254 per litre of diesel. A week earlier, on 28 September and still at the regular rates, the averages were €2.345 for petrol and €2.437 for diesel; that difference also reflects changes in pre-tax prices.
How long
The reduced rates apply until 31 December 2026. It is the second temporary cut this year: the same rates applied from 1 May to 30 June 2026. After that, the rates in section 2(1) of the Act apply again (€654.50 per 1,000 litres of petrol and €470.40 per 1,000 litres of diesel), unless the legislature decides otherwise.
Official source
§ 2 Absatz 1 ist vom 1. Mai 2026 bis zum 30. Juni 2026 und vom 1. Oktober 2026 bis zum 31. Dezember 2026 mit der Maßgabe anzuwenden, dass die Steuer für 1. 1 000 l Benzin […] mit einem Schwefelgehalt von höchstens 10 mg/kg […] 514,10 Euro, 2. 1 000 l Gasöle […] mit einem Schwefelgehalt von höchstens 10 mg/kg […] 330,00 Euro beträgt.
Section 68(1) of the Energy Tax Act (EnergieStG); regular rates: section 2(1) no. 1(b) and no. 4(b) EnergieStG; announcement: German Customs (Zoll), 29 September 2026. The quote is in German: “section 2(1) applies from 1 May to 30 June 2026 and from 1 October to 31 December 2026 with the proviso that the tax for 1,000 litres of petrol … with at most 10 mg/kg of sulphur … is 514.10 euros, and for 1,000 litres of gas oils … 330.00 euros”.
More on fuel-prices.eu
Calculation: change in energy tax × (1 + 19% VAT), at an unchanged pre-tax price. Prices are the European Commission’s weekly averages of 5 October and 28 September 2026.