Checking online for fuel prices? Here's what to keep in mind
Websites like Petrol Spy cover 8,500 fuel stations across Australia. (ABC News: Erin Parke)
In short:
Fuel price monitoring website Petrol Spy says page views have gone up six to eight times since the Iran conflict started.
Data on the website comes from retailers and motorists, however it can come with some inconsistencies.
University of Melbourne economics professor David Byrne says fuel monitoring websites are "pretty reliable" but some government apps provide accurate price data.
If you have been going online to check out the price of petrol, you are not alone.
Petrol Spy — a national website that displays petrol, diesel and LPG prices — said page views had gone up six to eight times since the Iran conflict started.
Several stations across the country have run out of fuel, motorists are panic-buying, and the possibility of fuel rationing is being tabled as the price continues to spike.
So, as you open your phone to check where the cheapest fuel is in your area, are you getting an accurate price?
Petrol Spy features a map showing petrol stations across the country, with user-submitted prices.
Petrol Spy says users have increased since the Iran conflict began. (ABC News)
Owner Andrey Firsov said the data on his website came from retailers and motorists, and was limited to users who had an account to improve data quality.
"We cover nearly 8,500 fuel stations across Australia, so data inconsistencies are possible," Mr Firsov said.
"It's possible the retailer set the price themselves to discourage panic buying at those locations, or when the site is not operating."
The price of fuel has risen in Ballarat, Victoria. (ABC News: Charlotte Wilkes)
Isolated cases possible
When the ABC presented Petrol Spy with instances of price variances between the app and actual prices at two fuel stations in Ballarat, which listed Unleaded 91 at almost $3, Mr Firsov said they "appear to be isolated cases".
"They represent two out of 44 locations [in the Ballarat area], with the remaining sites priced in the 220-229 cent range," he said.
David Byrne, a professor of economics at the University of Melbourne, said generally the sites were "pretty reliable".
"People tend to get roughly the right price when they upload them, so you don't get a lot of bad behaviour on them,"Professor Byrne said.
David Byrne says generally these sites are "pretty reliable". (Supplied: David Byrne)
Because the site relies on user-generated information, prices are not always consistently updated.
"The problem with them is they're not necessarily up to date … and sometimes you do get the odd wild price reports on them," he said.
Professor Byrne said there was a state-based site in New South Wales called Fuel Check, where, by law, the fuel stations and companies must upload their prices.
"If they aren't exactly what they are at the bowser, they get fined," Professor Byrne said.
"They have perfect price reporting."
NSW has the dedicated Fuel Check app (left), whereas Victoria has Servo Saver built into the Service Victoria app. (ABC News)
The Service Victoria app also has a fuel component to it, called Servo Saver. However Professor Byrne said it was not as easy to use as the NSW Fuel Check app.
"The thing we don't have that New South Wales has in Victoria is a really simple, easy-to-use app that you can click with one button to look," he said.
"So, that's the big difference in the states, and really it comes down to executing and providing the easiest possible app for us to use in our very busy lives."
In a statement, the Victorian government said Servo Saver capped fuel price increases to once per day in order to protect the motorists from price gouging.
"The Servo Saver feature is helping Victorians find the best deal when they head to the fuel pump, and is putting more money back in their pockets," the statement said.
"A unique feature of the Servo Saver app is that at 4pm every day, the next day's capped fuel price is displayed, giving Victorians the ability to choose where and when to buy fuel."