Fuel at your fingertips
Beat the bowser blues with our new Fuel Saver app and website.
We’re continuing to push for fairer fuel prices across Tasmania through the creation of a new smart phone app and website.
We’ve recently launched the free RACT Fuel Saver app and website, which uses real-time fuel price data collected through the Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting introduced in September last year.
Real-time fuel price reporting means Tasmanians can go online and find the cheapest price in their area. This leads to greater fuel retailer accountability, which helps put downward pressure on prices.
Our app gives members and the broader Tasmanian community more opportunities to shop around and buy the cheapest fuel. This will further contribute to a competitive fuel market, which will drive fairer prices for motorists.
Our app and website provide additional services for members who can view discounted member fuel prices at United fuel locations.
The RACT Fuel Saver app also has:
• The capability to search for fuel by suburb or postcode
• The ability to filter by fuel type and view retailer locations on a map or toggle to a list view
• The option to tap on desired fuel retailers to see up-to-date prices for all fuel types
• The cheapest price in any area indicated with a red tick
• The ability to provide distance and directions to your selected fuel retailer.
Our calculations show that...
during the four months since the real-time fuel reporting price scheme was introduced, Tasmanians overpaid $945,000 for unleaded fuel, a notable decrease from the $1.7 million they were overcharged in the four months before fuel-price reporting.
In fact, motorists were overcharged $0 for unleaded fuel during December and the first two weeks of January, which is a great sign that the initiative is working.
However, diesel continues to be a big concern, with motorists overcharged $5.2 million in the four months since fuel-price reporting. While this was a decrease from the $6.1 million motorists were overcharged in the four months before the scheme, these costs still remain far too high.
Our app and website is another step in the right direction to fairer fuel prices, with our modelling (above) showing that real-time fuel price reporting has helped reduce the cost of fuel for Tasmanians since coming into effect in September 2020.
Since November in particular, retail prices have remained steady despite increases in the wholesale price for unleaded and diesel. This has resulted in a significant drop in unfair fuel costs.
Our calculations (above) tell us that more action is needed to further reduce diesel prices, while also keeping up the momentum with unleaded prices. We believe real-time fuel price reporting is the key to achieving this, with our Fuel Saver app to put even more pressure on retailers moving forward.
We know this because similar schemes in New South Wales and Queensland have worked. The NSW FuelCheck platform has saved motorists $111 million per year, while a Queensland price-reporting trial saved motorists $122.8 million in just 12 months.