Fuel prices change throughout the day
You may have heard that you should refuel in the morning because it is colder outside. Due to the low temperature, fuel from the gas station would shrink and so you get more fuel for the same money. This is partly correct. This only applies at filling stations where the fuel tanks are not temperature controlled. In Belgium, for example, it is already mandatory to keep the fuel tanks at 15 degrees, regardless of the outside temperature. However, you can save by planning your trip well. We tell you the cheapest time to refuel.
Cheapest time to refuel
MultiTankcard announced the cheapest filling stations in the Netherlands this week. There, the company made another observation: ‘By the way, many gas stations seem to change their prices for Euro95/E10 petrol slightly on a daily basis. In the evening after 8 p.m. the price rises slowly, and in the night until 5 a.m. it falls again gradually. During the day the price remains fairly constant.’ Filling up in the middle of the night (when the temperature is lowest) is therefore not necessarily the best idea.
Just fill up during the day
The cheapest time to refuel is therefore not one specific time. Basically you just have to make sure you fill up during the day. Going up and down to the gas station during your lunch break is not necessarily the best idea. A cold engine consumes more petrol (except diesel engines, which consume no petrol even when it is cold) and so you drive up your savings right away. A good idea is to find out the cheapest gas station on the route.
Also read: Is it cheaper to refuel the more expensive but more economical Euro 95 (E5)?
According to the ANWB Monday is in any case the worst day to refuel; then you will not receive a discount at any gas station. On other days you can go to certain chains for a few cents discount per liter on your toddler. In addition, it is always wise to avoid highway gas stations. The gas stations along the highway are nowadays up to 15 cents more expensive per liter.
