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About 5,000 violations of the 12 o'clock rule at gas stations

About 5,000 violations of the 12 o'clock rule at gas stations
About 5,000 violations of the 12 o'clock rule at gas stations in Saxony (stock photo) / Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
From: DieSachsen News
In Saxony, the 12 o'clock rule was violated about 5,000 times at gas stations. What this means for drivers—and why not every violation carries the same penalty.

Approximately 5,000 violations of the 12 o’clock rule have been identified at gas stations in Saxony. According to a spokesperson for the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs, this is a relatively small number compared to other federal states.

Counties Review Procedures

According to the information provided, whether a deviation constitutes a violation punishable by a fine is at the discretion of the responsible enforcement authorities, namely the counties. “We have received feedback from the affected counties that, in most agencies, the submitted data is currently being reviewed and evaluated, and hearing procedures are being prepared or initiated,” the spokesperson emphasized.

The 12:00 p.m. rule has been in effect since April 1 and stipulates that gas stations may raise prices only once a day—at 12:00 p.m. Price reductions, on the other hand, are always permitted. The regulation was introduced after the war in Iran led to sharp increases in fuel prices.

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Market Transparency Office reviews data from 15,000 gas stations

According to the ministry, the Market Transparency Office for Fuels (MTS-K), which is part of the Federal Cartel Office, collects price data from approximately 15,000 gas stations in Germany. These stations are required to report any price change within five minutes. In the Free State alone, there were approximately 5,000 price deviations between April and June. Data for July is not yet available.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, a total of 38 price-setting entities with 46 gas stations are based in Saxony. These are distributed across the districts and the independent city of Leipzig. The independent cities of Dresden and Chemnitz currently have no price-setting entities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Free State of Saxony.

Two Violations in the Leipzig District

In the Leipzig district, violations of the so-called “12 o’clock rule” were detected at two gas stations, as reported by the district administration office in Borna. The corresponding administrative offense proceedings have been initiated. The affected gas stations will be heard as part of the proceedings and will be given the opportunity to comment. Only then can a decision be made as to whether—and, if so, to what extent—the violations will be penalized. The spokesperson for the district office emphasized that processing these cases entails additional administrative work for the responsible fine-imposing authority.

In principle, the Fuel Price Adjustment Act does not provide for a grace period or other exceptions to the 12-noon rule. The law stipulates that fuel prices may be increased only once a day at exactly 12 noon. Anyone who violates this rule commits an administrative offense, whether intentionally or through negligence. However, the extent to which penalties may be waived based on the circumstances of the individual case—such as technical malfunctions—is at the discretion of the respective enforcement authority.

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