How to find the cheapest fuel in Australia
In a capital city the gap between the cheapest and the dearest servo routinely passes 40 cents a litre. On a 50-litre tank that is more than $20 — every single fill-up. Over a year it is hundreds of dollars, decided by which day you fill up and which street you turn into.
Refil shows you the cheapest station for your fuel on a map and marks the best one in green, so the decision takes a glance instead of a drive around the block.
| Fuel | Cheapest | Dearest | Saving/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unleaded 91 | 2.179 $/L | 2.670 $/L | 0.491 $/L |
| E10 | 2.169 $/L | 2.458 $/L | 0.289 $/L |
| Premium 95 | 2.363 $/L | 2.690 $/L | 0.327 $/L |
| Premium 98 | 2.404 $/L | 2.789 $/L | 0.385 $/L |
| Diesel | 2.575 $/L | 2.999 $/L | 0.424 $/L |
| Premium diesel | 2.629 $/L | 2.919 $/L | 0.290 $/L |
| LPG | 0.949 $/L | 1.595 $/L | 0.646 $/L |
| E85 | 2.295 $/L | 2.699 $/L | 0.404 $/L |
Where the prices come from
Most Australians live in a state that forces servos to publish what they charge. Western Australia was first: FuelWatch has required next-day prices since 2001, they are published at 2:30 pm and locked for 24 hours, which is why WA has no price cycle. New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania run FuelCheck, where a station has 30 minutes to report a change. Queensland and South Australia have their own reporting schemes, and Victoria's Servo Saver publishes with a 24-hour delay written into the scheme itself.
Refil reads the WA, NSW/ACT/TAS and Victorian schemes directly rather than scraping signs, so a price you see in the app is the price the station told its regulator. Queensland and South Australia do not open their feeds to Refil yet: in Queensland the map shows every station from the state's open data, with prices reported by other drivers, and South Australia is not covered. Neither is the Northern Territory, which has no reporting scheme — we would rather leave a gap than guess.
Every scheme quotes in cents per litre. Refil converts to dollars and shows $1.899/L, the way you would read it off the board, not 189.9.
Fuels sold in Australia
- Unleaded 91 (ULP) — the standard grade and the one most cars take
- E10 — 91 octane with up to 10% ethanol, usually a few cents cheaper
- Premium 95 and Premium 98
- Diesel and premium diesel
- LPG (autogas), still worth checking in older converted cars
- E85 at a shrinking number of sites
- EV chargers, filtered by connector and speed
Brands and independents
Brands sit in fairly predictable bands, and the independents and warehouse sites are usually the cheapest in their area:
How to actually spend less
- Learn your city's price cycle. In Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth the price does not drift — it collapses over a couple of weeks and then jumps 30-50 cents in a single morning. Filling up on the wrong day costs more than any brand choice ever will.
- In Western Australia, buy on the cheap day. FuelWatch publishes tomorrow's price at 2:30 pm today and it cannot change for 24 hours, so you can see the jump coming and beat it by a few hours.
- Check E10 against ULP 91 by the tank, not by the litre. E10 has slightly less energy, so a cent or two a litre cheaper is roughly break-even — worth it when the gap is bigger, not when it is token.
- Skip the highway service centre when the next town is ten minutes away. The premium there is not a few cents, it is often the whole spread of the city you just left.
- Only buy 95 or 98 if your owner's manual asks for it. A car designed for 91 gets no extra power and no extra economy from premium — just a dearer tank.
FAQ
Why do fuel prices in Australian cities jump overnight?
Because the major capitals run a price cycle: retailers discount gradually for one to three weeks, then restore margin all at once, usually in a single morning. It is driven by retail competition, not by the oil price, which is why the pump can jump 40 cents on a day when crude has not moved.
Is E10 actually cheaper than ULP 91?
Per litre, almost always. Per kilometre, only sometimes: E10 carries a little less energy, so a saving of one or two cents a litre is close to break-even. Refil shows both prices so you can judge the gap rather than assume it.
Which states publish official fuel prices?
Western Australia (FuelWatch), New South Wales, the ACT and Tasmania (FuelCheck), Victoria (Servo Saver), Queensland and South Australia. Refil shows the official prices of WA, NSW, the ACT, Tasmania and Victoria. Queensland's and South Australia's feeds are not open to Refil yet, so in Queensland you see every station with prices from other drivers and South Australia is not covered. The Northern Territory has no scheme.
How current are the prices?
It depends on the state. NSW, the ACT and Tasmania report changes within about half an hour. WA publishes tomorrow's price the afternoon before and freezes it. Victoria's scheme is deliberately 24 hours behind, so Refil shows when each Victorian price was reported.
Is Refil free?
Yes. The map and the cheapest servo for your fuel cost nothing. Refil Pro is optional and widens the search radius to 50 km, among other extras.
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