visit raa.com.au
More than twice as many motorists are saving money by checking live fuel prices compared to three years ago – but thousands are still leaving $315 on the table each year by not shopping around, according to a new RAA survey.
RAA’s latest fuel survey shows 53 per cent of drivers now decide where to fill up the tank based on a price checking app, compared to just 22 per cent in 2021.
The survey found motorists who used the fuel price feature on the RAA app saved $26.30 per month on average – or $315 for the year.
It comes as the RAA app launches a new ‘Fuel trends’ feature aimed at educating drivers on Adelaide’s price cycle – so they can make a more informed decision about when to buy.
RAA fuel expert Mark Borlace said the RAA app was saving drivers an estimated $45 million at the bowser each year – but millions more were being left on the table by drivers who don’t shop around.
“RAA’s latest fuel survey shows as the cost of living rises, thousands more South Aussie drivers now shop around for cheaper fuel to make an easy saving,” Mr Borlace said.
“When South Australia’s real-time fuel pricing trial launched in early 2021, less than a quarter of motorists were making an informed choice on where to fill up – that’s now up to 53%.
“But it means that the other 47% of people who don’t shop around are missing out on an average saving of $26.30 per month – or $315 each year.”
The survey also found that 74 per cent of respondents now say they spend more than $100 per month on fuel, compared to just 36 per cent in 2021, largely due to wholesale price increases caused by inflation and supply chain pressures.
Three in five respondents also identified cheap prices or impending price spikes as their main motivation for filling up, as more drivers look to take advantage of Adelaide’s ULP price cycle to save money.
RAA is helping raise awareness of that cycle through the RAA app’s new ‘Fuel trends’ feature, which can now be accessed by clicking the graph icon in the ‘Fuel prices’ section of the app.
Mr Borlace said users can now use the RAA app to see how average fuel price have fluctuated over the last one, four or 12 weeks.
“It means RAA app users can now see whether petrol prices look likely to spike or if they’re trending downwards,” Mr Borlace said.
“If you see prices have been low for a few days, you know that is the time to buy – before the retailers put their prices up as part of the cycle.
“Adelaide’s ULP price cycle usually lasts 10-14 days, so those of us who can make a full tank last that long can generally only buy when it’s at the bottom of the cycle if we’re paying attention.
“At the lowest point of the cycle, many retailers will be selling fuel below wholesale to get you in the door to buy other items like bread and milk, so there’s the opportunity to grab a bargain.”