What ROTH Energie does

ROTH Energie, operating under the legal entity Adolf ROTH GmbH & Co. KG, is one of Germany's largest privately held mineral oil dealers, headquartered in Gießen and active since 1949. The company distributes heating oil (including Bio-/HVO blends), natural gas, electricity, LPG and bottled gas, HVO100 and E20 fuels, and lubricants across roughly 90 sites in seven German federal states, supported by 47 retail gas stations, eight tank warehouses, and a private delivery fleet.

Beyond commodity fuel distribution, ROTH generates revenue through adjacent energy services: heating-system installation and maintenance (Wärmeservice), plumbing, tank protection, and the ROTH Card fuel-card program, with an online customer portal handling ordering and account management. Customer segments span private households, commercial and industrial accounts, and downstream trader/dealer wholesale, with retail stations increasingly differentiated through the award-winning Energielieferant bistro concept.

The business model is fundamentally a regional distribution and service margin model layered onto commodity fuel spreads, combined with recurring service revenue from heating infrastructure. The company is family-owned under Managing Directors Christiane Roth and Lucas Smajek, with 650 employees, and is executing an energy-transition pivot through renewable-fuel product launches (HVO100, Bio-/HVO-Heizöl) and an OEM partnership with Volkswagen on E20 Super fuel.

Name

ROTH Energie

Legal name

Adolf ROTH GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://roth-energie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ROTH Energie is one of Germany's largest privately held mineral oil dealers, distributing heating oil, fuels, gas, electricity, and lubricants to households, commercial accounts, and resellers across seven federal states via ~90 sites and integrated heating services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Supply and Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers (except Bulk Stations and Terminals) (424720), Fuel Dealers (457210), Hardware Merchant Wholesalers (423710)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Energy Brokerage & Intermediation (EUAGAAAM)

Keywords

• Heating oil distribution
• Mineral oil trading
• Energy supply services
• Retail fuel stations
• Heating system installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gießen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices42 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Petroleum Products Sales: Sale of heating oil (Heizöl), diesel fuel, gasoline, and related petroleum products through direct delivery (tank trucks) and retail gas stations
2. Natural Gas and Electricity Supply: Residential and commercial supply contracts for natural gas and electricity with flexible tariff options
3. LPG/Propane Sales: Sale of liquefied petroleum gas (propane/butane) for heating and cooking, including tank rental and installation services
4. Lubricants/Schmierstoffe: Sale of industrial lubricants for vehicles, machinery, forestry equipment, agricultural machinery, and ships
5. Heating Systems Installation and Service: Installation, maintenance, and repair of heating systems (gas, oil, heat pumps, solar thermal), plumbing, and tank protection services
6. Gas Station Operations: Retail fuel sales and bistro/convenience operations at 47 owned gas stations across Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Thüringen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Bayern

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ROTH Energie is a regional energy distributor that sells heating oil, natural gas, electricity, LPG/propane, lubricants, and automotive fuels (including sustainable variants like HVO100 and E20) directly to households and businesses across 7 German states. The company operates 47 retail gas stations with bistro concepts and provides heating system installation, plumbing, and tank protection services. Distribution is carried out via owned tank truck fleet, 8 tank storage facilities, and an online customer portal.

Product overview

ROTH Energie is a mid-sized family-owned energy company (founded 1949) operating as one of Germany's largest mineral oil traders. The company offers a diversified energy portfolio spanning heating products (heating oil including Bio/HVO variants, natural gas, LPG), automotive fuels (diesel including HVO100, gasoline including E20, natural gas), and services (heating system installation and maintenance, plumbing, tank protection). ROTH operates 47 gas stations, 6-7 tank farms with 180,000 m³ storage capacity, and maintains an extensive logistics fleet across 7 German states with 90 locations and 650 employees. The company is actively transitioning toward sustainable energy solutions with HVO100 diesel, E20 biofuels, and Bio-HVO heating oil products, while maintaining core fuel distribution operations. Digital services include an online customer portal (Mein ROTH) for account and meter reading management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heating Oil (Heizöl) Premium-grade heating oil delivered by tank truck to residential and commercial customers. Pricing is based on quantity (liters) and delivery location (postleitzahl). Customers can order flexibly online, by phone, or via the customer portal.
• Bio-/HVO-Heizöl (Bio and HVO Heating Oil) Climate-friendly heating oil meeting the new DIN 51603-1 standard with up to 100% biogenic or synthetic components (HVO or XTL). GEG-compliant, efficient, and environmentally friendly for modern condensing oil heating systems.
• Natural Gas (Erdgas) Natural gas supply for residential customers with flexible tariff options and fair pricing without hidden fees.
• Electricity (Strom) Electricity supply tariffs for residential customers without hidden fees, including online meter reading submission via the mein.roth-energie.de portal.
• LPG/Propane (Flüssiggas) Liquefied petroleum gas (propane/butane mixture) supply for heating and cooking, suitable for areas without gas grid connection. Tanks available from 1,750L to 6,400L capacity for purchase or rental.
• Bottled Gas (Flaschengas) Bottled gas products for customers requiring portable energy solutions for cooking, heating, or other applications.
• Lubricants (Schmierstoffe) Comprehensive portfolio of lubricants for vehicles, industrial machines, forestry equipment, agricultural machinery, and ships from brand-name manufacturers.
• HVO100 Diesel Sustainable diesel fuel made from used cooking oils, animal fats, and other biogenic waste residues. Reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 90%, works without technical modifications to existing diesel engines, and is available at ROTH stations in Hesse.
• Super E20 Fuel E20 fuel (20% ethanol blend) pilot project providing immediately effective climate protection in transportation. Works with existing vehicles without new infrastructure or vehicle replacement.
• ROTH Gas Stations (Tankstellen) 47 own-operated gas station locations across Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland, Thüringen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Bayern, including shop operations and the 'Energielieferant' bistro concept.
• Heating System Construction (Heizungsbau) Complete heating system installation and consulting for all heating systems including modern options like heat pumps, gas/oil condensing systems, and hybrid systems. Covers installation, repair, and troubleshooting of heating equipment.
• Plumbing Services (Sanitär) Full plumbing services from bathroom renovation to dream bathrooms, including installation and renovation of sanitary facilities.
• Tank Protection Services (Tankschutz) Protection services for maintaining fuel tank installations, ensuring longevity and safety of tank systems through inspection, cleaning, and corrosion protection.
• Maintenance Contracts (Wartungsverträge) Maintenance contracts for heating systems to help customers save costs through regular professional maintenance, including inspections and preventive servicing.
• ROTH Card Fuel Card Fuel card system for commercial customers enabling consolidated billing and fuel purchases across ROTH gas stations.
• Mein ROTH Online Customer Portal Online customer portal for account management, meter reading submission for electricity and natural gas, and accessing personal account information.
• Energielieferant Bistro Concept Innovative gas station gastronomy concept combining fresh, regional, and sustainable food offerings with fuel services at the Lich location.

Quantifiable outcome

• HVO100 reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Volkswagen (VW)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026E20 pilot project collaboration with VW demo fleet to demonstrate E20 fuel functionality in existing vehicles without requiring new infrastructure or vehicle replacement. Second Super E20 fuel pump in Germany installed in Gießen as part of this project.
• En2X (Andreas Mahlberg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPodcast collaboration with Andreas Mahlberg from En2X to discuss the Building Energy Act (GEG) and clarify common misconceptions about heating regulations.
• htw saar (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Heinze)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on HVO100 study examining the potential of sustainable diesel fuel. Study confirms CO2 savings of up to 96% depending on raw material. ROTH references this study in their HVO100 marketing.
• SCHUFA Holding AGminorOthersCreditworthiness check provider for end customers (Verbraucher) to assess credit risk before contract conclusion, as required by German law (§505a and 506 BGB).
• CRIFBÜRGEL GmbHminorOthersCredit check and risk assessment provider for commercial customers (Gewerbekunden) to evaluate creditworthiness and detect fraudulent behavior.
• Deutsche Bahn, KIT, htw saarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institutions that conducted test bench and practical measurements for the HVO100 study, confirming emission reductions compared to conventional diesel.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• team energie GmbH & Co. KG: German family-owned regional mineral oil dealer and gas station operator in northern Germany. Highly comparable as a mid-sized privately held fuel/heating oil distributor with owned retail and wholesale operations.
• Westfalen AG: German regional energy company supplying fuels, heating oil, natural gas, LPG, and lubricants to private and commercial customers. Closely comparable mid-sized German energy distributor with overlapping product portfolio and similar regional distribution model.
• BayWa AG: German-headquartered diversified energy and agricultural group with significant heating oil, fuel, and energy trading operations. Comparable as a regional German energy retailer/wholesaler with adjacent renewable and service offerings.
• Avia AG: European fuel dealer cooperative with extensive German gas station network and wholesale fuel operations. Closely comparable as a multi-brand retail/wholesale fuel distributor serving private and commercial customers.
• Hoyer GmbH: German family-owned fuel and lubricant wholesaler operating tank trucks, tank storage, and energy distribution across multiple regions. Directly comparable mid-sized mineral oil dealer with similar portfolio (heating oil, diesel, lubricants) and similar regional German footprint.

Broad incumbents

• TotalEnergies Deutschland GmbH: Subsidiary of global integrated energy major with significant German retail fuel, lubricants, and energy supply operations. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same product categories (fuel, lubricants, gas, electricity) but at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Shell Deutschland: German arm of Shell, operating retail fuel stations, lubricants, and B2B energy solutions in Germany. Overlaps with ROTH in fuel retail, heating, lubricants, and commercial energy supply, but at national scale with deep brand recognition.
• OMV Deutschland GmbH: Central European integrated energy major with German gas station network, fuel distribution, and energy supply. Comparable product set including retail fuels and lubricants with overlap in commercial and household energy supply.
• Esso Deutschland GmbH: German retail fuel and lubricants operation of ExxonMobil, with nationwide gas station network. Direct overlap in fuel retail and lubricants, though Esso lacks ROTH's vertical heating-installation service line.

Emerging players

• Friedrich Vorwerk Group SE: German energy infrastructure company focused on pipeline construction and energy transition services (hydrogen, gas). Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but relevant given ROTH's energy transition positioning and infrastructure footprint in German energy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqMNc3DR-5F2Q3m2rJ3kfrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/roth.energie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roth-energie
• Instagraminstagram.com/roth_energie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ROTH Energie