Petol price apps Motormouth, FuelCheck and GasBuddy surge in fightback at the bowser
MOTORISTS are using technology to fight back against rising bills at the bowser, with traffic to petrol apps surging 425 per cent over the past year.
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MOTORISTS are using technology to fight back against rising bills at the bowser, with traffic to petrol apps surging 425 per cent in a year.
A new report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reveals there were 21 million hits on petrol apps in the three months to the end of December 2016, up from four million in the same period of 2015.
“Fuel price apps and websites are helping motorists to pick the best time and the cheapest location to fill their tanks,” said ACCC chairman Rod Sims.
The ACCC estimates drivers who time their purchases of petrol and choose to buy from the lowest priced retailer can save $10 to $15 per 60-litre tank. That only applies in markets that have price cycles: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
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Popular apps and sites include MotorMouth, 7-Eleven, GasBuddy, my nrma and, in NSW, the state government-run FuelCheck.
Mr Sims said: “The increasing popularity of these websites and apps, and the ability of some to crowd source price data, is helping people play an active role in finding cheaper petrol prices and helping discounting petrol retailers broadcast their lower prices.
“Petrol websites and apps are beginning to play an important role in providing price transparency and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of price transparency in enabling competition in the retail petrol market.”
“The more people that use these websites and apps, the more powerful a role they can play in helping consumers get the lowest prices,” Mr Sims said.
Average retail prices in the December quarter 2016 in the largest cities were the highest since the June quarter 2015, while gross retail margins also increased in the quarter, Mr Sims said.
Originally published as Petol price apps Motormouth, FuelCheck and GasBuddy surge in fightback at the bowser
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