Three apps to help drivers in Germany find the cheapest fuel

Prices at the pump immediately shot up following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, and the outbreak of war in the Middle East that followed.

Then on Monday, prices at petrol stations rose sharply again, according to the ADAC. In the afternoon, premium E10 gasoline was 7.3 cents more expensive than at the same time on Friday, the last day before the conflict escalated. For diesel, it was 8.1 cents higher.

Queues were already forming at petrol stations across Germany on Monday as motorists rushed to fill up amid fears of sharp fuel price increases linked to the war.

The Gas Station Interest Group said that heavy demand had been visible nationwide since the weekend and was expected to continue.

 "The upward trend may continue over the next few days," says ADAC fuel market expert Christian Laberer. 

But for those who need to driving regardless of price trends, and wish to do so as affordably as possible, there are apps to help save a bit on fuel.

There are often regional and local differences in prices, for example, which is why Andreas Mundt, the head of the Federal Cartel Authority, recommends using fuel price apps to refuel cheaply.

Gas stations are required to report their price changes directly to the German authority, which in turn passes on the data to apps where consumers can view the current prices.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Germany's new winter tyre rule

This transparency of prices is intended to stimulate competition in the interests of consumers. It's not uncommon to find significant price differences between stations - even between gas stations in the same city that are quite close to each other.

"By identifying the cheapest petrol stations in the vicinity, and fuelling at favourable time, it is not uncommon to save around 15 cents per litre," Andreas Mundt told DPA.

It's worth noting that fuel prices tend to be a bit more expensive in the morning hours in Germany. According to CHIP, Germany's largest tech and consumer portal, fuel prices are statistically the cheapest between the hours of 6-7 pm and 8-10 pm. 

Easy-to-use apps for comparing fuel prices in Germany:

ADAC Drive

German Automobile Association ADAC's "Drive app" (Android, iOS) makes it easy to find the cheapest prices for petrol and diesel fuel. 

The app is free to use and advertisement free.

It offers a quick and convenient overview of fuel prices, and it also shows you the fastest route to the gas station you're aiming for.

The app is also useful for road trips as it includes a traffic-jam scanner and alert function. You can also report traffic jams yourself through the app.

Clever Tanken 

The Clever Tanken app (Android, iOS) is a highly rated app for tracking fuel prices and finding EV charging stations.

The app is free to use, but contains advertisements unless you upgrade to the paid version.

One helpful feature of Clever Tanken, which means 'clever refuel', is that you can enter a desired fuel price and the app will alert you to stations meeting that price in your area.

Also, the app calculates which time is best for refuelling and reveals stats about which cities offer cheaper prices and how prices have changed recently.

Clever Tanken also has the benefit of being available in English as well as German.

READ ALSO: What are the rules around driving a friend or relative's car in Germany?

PACE Drive

Offering the ability to compare fuel prices in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, PACE drive (Android, iOS) may be the optimal choice to trans-European road trips. Also, the PACE app can be used in most major European languages.

It's free to use without advertisements.

You can also enter any loyalty and points cards you hold, so that the app can take that into account when displaying local prices.

PACE also offers a mobile pay function, allowing you pay for fuel directly from your phone and receive a digital receipt.