The easy way Australians can save $500 on petrol as prices surge

NSW residents could be saving up to $500 in petrol costs every year by doing this one thing as prices soar to unprecedented levels.

Australians could be saving up to $500 in petrol per year just by downloading an app as global sanctions on Russia cause a surge in oil prices around the world.

The average price of unleaded petrol has soared to $2.20, breaking records across the country, with average households expected to spend an additional $1100 this year.

But there’s an easy way to save almost half of the additional costs, according to NSW Customer Services Minister Victor Dominello.

The state’s FuelCheck app allows motorists to find out the cheapest petrol near them and has had 1.8 million downloads across the state. Mr Dominello said the idea of the app came to him when he was a “poor student at university”,

“Fast forward a few decades and I said, ‘Why couldn’t we just see all the federal petrol prices in real time on your phone?’” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

Petrol prices continue to rise across Australia and the world after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Picture: Ian Currie.

“NRMA has said that if you regularly use the app you could save over $500 a year.

“That was before we saw that price escalation.”

While many Australians have been vocal about the price of petrol, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has urged drivers to have some perspective.

Senator Birmingham said comparatively it could be a lot worse.

With less than two weeks to go until the budget is handed down, pressure is mounting on the federal government to introduce measures to ease the burden of rising petrol prices and subsequent inflation.

NSW Customer Services Minister Victor Dominello says there’s an easy way to save on fuel. Picture Gaye Gerard / NCA NewsWire

“Petrol prices are in the bottom quarter or thereabouts among developed countries in terms of prices,” Senator Birmingham told Channel 7.

“I know it’s tough out there, but relative to many other parts of the world, Australia is performing better. That gives us a chance to keep looking for how we can support households, like what we’ve done through tax cuts.”

When asked whether the fuel excise would be cut, Senator Birmingham would not be drawn.

“We are finalising all of those decisions, they have to be done in ways that don’t add to pressure on interest rates,” he said.

“We want to keep interest rates as low as possible … But households should be rest assured … we will help them wherever we possibly can.”