In North Rhine-Westphalia, drivers at some Shell highway stations were able to fill up with diesel at a price of €1.84 per liter since Monday afternoon. This unexpected price drop brought joy to many, including Dirk Sengstmann, who refueled on his journey from Dresden to the Bergisches Land. However, by Tuesday afternoon, prices had already risen again to €2.40 per liter.
The Lichtendorf Nord station on the A1 was not the only one affected by the price reduction. Drivers in Haltern am See also noticed the lower diesel price, which quickly spread through social media. Many flocked to the pumps on Monday evening to take advantage of the offer.
In response to an inquiry from WDR, Shell explained that it was a manual pricing error. This error could not be corrected because, by law, prices can only be raised once a day at noon. Thus, the unexpected price drop was a one-time event that delighted many drivers.
Oil companies typically set prices remotely, which can lead to such unforeseen situations. Drivers in Haltern and the surrounding area were fortunate, while prices have now returned to their usual levels.
