Don't be fuelled this holiday season

Motorists are being encouraged to download the NSW Government’s FuelCheck app and find the best deal at the bowser before embarking on holidays this summer.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined Minister for Finance Victor Dominello and Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Matt Kean at Metro Fuel Hornsby to reveal the cheapest and most expensive fuel prices along major roads leading to popular NSW holiday spots.

“School holidays have started and many families will be hitting the road to enjoy the break,” Ms Berejiklian said. “This app can provide relief at the hip pocket by shining a spotlight on the cheapest service stations along the journey.

“Whether motorists are driving to the Central Coast via the M1, South Coast via the Princes Highway or the Blue Mountains via the M4, the app allows them to find the best bargain in real-time anywhere in NSW.”

Mr Dominello said: “More than 84,000 people have downloaded the app since its launch in October and the website has received over 3.3 million visits since it went live last year. That many people can’t be wrong and motorists have clearly given FuelCheck the thumbs up.”

Mr Kean said: “NSW Fair Trading officers will be conducting compliance checks over summer to ensure service stations are updating their fuel prices in real-time. If the price at the pump does not match what is shown on the app, motorists can make a complaint directly to Fair Trading.”

Data gathered from the FuelCheck app shows:

• Independent service stations consistently sell cheaper fuel;
• Friday is the cheapest day to fill up whereas Tuesday is the most expensive;
• There can often be a more than 20 cent price difference in fuel between service stations in the same suburb; and
• Motorists can potentially save hundreds of dollars a year by using the app.

The app includes a Favourite Stations function, which allows users to save their favourite petrol stations. A My Trip function utilises Google Maps to enable users to find the cheapest petrol station on their journey and direct them to the station. There is also a Trends page, which shows the cheapest day of the week to fill up and the day’s price range.

The app is one of a raft of NSW Government measures helping to ease cost of living pressures for households. The Government has this year also introduced free car registration for regular toll users, cheaper hospital car parking, and CTP reforms.

This announcement coincides with the release today of the final IPART report on the wholesale and retail ethanol market, which found that FuelCheck improved competition in fuel pricing by empowering motorists to make more informed decisions about where to purchase fuel.

“Providing motorists with a bird’s-eye view of the market has enabled them to find the cheapest fuel, which in turn has put pressure on retailers to offer fuel at better prices,” Mr Dominello said.