Don't be an April Fool: there's no rush to fill up your tank
Don't be an April Fool: there's no rush to fill up your tank
with Guest Columnist Christopher Zinn
You might have heard this yarn so often you believe it. You might have even filled up precipitously this week. But it’s official – petrol prices do NOT go up because of holidays or long weekends. 
It’s become part of Aussie folklore, and many of us are quite certain the price gouge at the pump unceasingly coincides with the time when many of us take to the road.
But for the record, the consumer watchdog, which diligently tracks and analyses petrol price cycles is clear there’s no connection.
The ACCC puts the perception down to price rises being more noticeable before holiday weekends because we are driving further and filling up more.
If you don’t believe the ACCC, the University of New England economics professor Abbas Valadkhani kindly went through seven years of petrol price data with a fine tooth comb.
He found the impact of holidays was insignificant and the best way to avoid high prices was not to fill up when demand was highest - which was nearly always Thursday and Friday.
The prof’s tip to make savings is to fill up in those places which have the strongest price cycles and hence the most competition, although those cycles are changing and less predictable.
Sadly, another costly surprise at the pumps during the holidays is no myth, and that is that petrol costs significantly more than you might expect once you get into the bush.
This is one phenomenon the ACCC not only acknowledges, but is taking action about, with new petrol monitoring arrangements to find out why it costs so much more in the regions.
Their first target is Darwin, where average retail petrol prices were almost 20c higher than the biggest five capital cities!
What does it all mean for you at the bowser this weekend?
My best tip for travellers this long weekend is to test your nerve and leave filling up until you quit the big smoke. That was the ACCC’s tip this week for Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
If you’re cruising around NSW this Easter don’t drive past Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong or Canberra—check out their price. In Victoria fill up in Metropolitan Melbourne, Geelong and Sunbury. In Queensland the competition hot-spots are said to be Brisbane, Caboolture, Caloundra, Gold Coast, Ipswich and a region including Maryborough and Gympie.
“Prices are decreasing, but they are likely to decrease further if possible, motorists should delay buying petrol until later.”
You can check the ACCC’s updated advice on Friday at this link: https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/petrol-diesel-lpg/petrol-price-cycles#petrol-price-cycles-in-capital-cities
The bad news for those in rural and regional from Professor Valadkhani is simple and harsh. You’ll pay more than the city folk because you “never enjoy the discount day.”
So if you’re visiting from the city this weekend, enjoy the countryside and the fact you don’t have to pay their petrol prices everyday.
Drive safe.
How do you save on Petrol bills? Have your say in the FiftyUp Club Poll here
