Petrol prices rising again: 6 ways to pay less at the pump right now
Key takeaways
- Australian petrol prices jumped by as much as 18 cents per litre over the last week.
- This is because the fuel excise cut has halved and the US has closed the Strait of Hormuz again.
- What's next: There are plenty of ways Australians can save money on petrol.
Petrol prices are back on the rise, with ACCC data showing an 18 cents per litre jump in the last week across Australia's five largest cities.
Prices rose early in July when the temporary fuel excise cut dropped from 32 cents per litre to 16 cents. And now that the US has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prices are rising even further.
Prices will rise higher when the excise cut ends on 2 August. This is all bad news for Australians, one in five of whom cite petrol prices as one of their most stressful expenses.
Here are 6 things you can do to pay less for petrol.
1. Track fuel prices in your area
Finding the cheapest petrol in your area is the best way to save money. There are lots of apps you can use, and Finder has a handy fuel tracker tool.
Every state has an official fuel price watch tool, and there's PetrolSpy or even just Google Maps, which lists prices at local stations.
Find cheap petrol near you
Use Finder's free fuel price tracker and find cheaper petrol
2. Get membership discounts
Every petrol station chain has some kind of discount or deal if you have a membership, or shop at a partner supermarket.
For example, you can save 4 cents per litre at Ampol if you spend $30 more at Woolworths. Shell Reddy Express and Coles Express have the same 4 cent discount when you spend $30 or more at Coles.
There are also fuel discounts through motoring club memberships, like the NRMA, RACV and RACQ.
3. Lock in prices with the My 7-Eleven app
The My 7-Eleven app lets you lock in fuel prices for up to seven days. This is quite helpful if your tank is still half full but prices are likely to rise (like now).
You can combine this with our next tip too.
4. Fill up on cheaper days
While it varies by city and state, weekdays tend to be the cheapest days to refill your car. But there are cycles. In Perth it's weekly, while in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane there are cycles that last between five and six weeks.
These cycles get disrupted during a fuel crisis like we're seeing now. You're still generally better off filling up early in the week on a weekday, and the earlier the better when prices are rising daily.
Using the My 7-Eleven app to lock in price can really help here too.
5. Use a cheaper fuel type
You can save money by switching to a cheaper fuel type. Unleaded 91 is cheaper than Unleaded 95, and E10 is the cheapest of all.
Most modern car models can take E10, so it might be worth considering. But it's worth keeping in mind that there's a fuel efficiency trade-off with E10. You won't go as far with this fuel type, so if the price is not drastically lower than Unleaded 91 you might not actually save by using it.
6. Drive slower (and lighter)
If you accelerate and brake more slowly, coast when you get up to a high speed and avoid loading up your car with heavy stuff, you'll make serious fuel efficiency gains.
It's comforting to know that the next time you see someone speeding or driving dangerously, they're costing themselves more in petrol.
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