I know that in Qld (and I believe some other states) it's a requirement for servos to electronically to report their fuel prices as part of the Queensland fuel price reporting scheme to help motorists find the cheapest fuel prices. The fuel apps then use this info for real time pricing. I use Petrol Spy and find it accurate, although this is not necessarily always the case in other states. Last time I was in SA 2 years ago I didn't realise it was a long weekend going across the Nullabor into headwinds. Passed the last open fuel stop with nearly 150ks to go. Next planned stop - roadhouse permanently closed. Next small town both fuel outlets closed because of the holiday. Rolled slowly into Ceduna and put 93 litres into my 93 litre tank. Pays to look at when the data was last updated.
I have used Petrol Spy and found it to be accurate during my times of use for the last two years. I had not heard of Wiki Fuel.
Last year when leaving Edithburgh, SA, we are had not been informed of a regional power system outage. No power in Edithburgh, so could not get fuel. Onto Ardrossan, oops, no power there either.
A few calculations in the head with how far to Port Wakefield and how much diesel we were using travelling into the annoying headwind. OK! Made it to operating service stations at Port Wakefield. Cheaper diesel there too.
Trip computer said we had a range of 24km remaining.
I know that in Qld (and I believe some other states) it's a requirement for servos to electronically to report their fuel prices as part of the Queensland fuel price reporting scheme to help motorists find the cheapest fuel prices. The fuel apps then use this info for real time pricing. I use Petrol Spy and find it accurate, although this is not necessarily always the case in other states. Last time I was in SA 2 years ago I didn't realise it was a long weekend going across the Nullabor into headwinds. Passed the last open fuel stop with nearly 150ks to go. Next planned stop - roadhouse permanently closed. Next small town both fuel outlets closed because of the holiday. Rolled slowly into Ceduna and put 93 litres into my 93 litre tank. Pays to look at when the data was last updated.
Sure does ...
I use RACQ Fuel App .. shows the cheapest fuel in my current location.
I've been caught twice now with the 'lowest fuel site' being servos closed during renovations and the price when they were last open still being quoted on the bloody app. Rude email to RACQ resulted in nothing.
I spoke to a console attendant last year whilst doing a spot of fishing off a wharf.
He told me that many country servos have multiple subscriptions to each of the wiki style (public updated) fuel apps and they deliberately log in at least once or twice a day and update the prices at up to 10 cents per litre below what is actually being charged at the bowser.
Claimed this was just to lure folks to NOT to fill up at the previous town on their journey, thinking there's a better deal ahead, and then on arriving, they have no choice but to pay the much higher prices because they can't reach the next town on their remaining fuel.
Despicable behaviour but that's what you get with wiki style apps.
We've stayed at parks just over the road from some servos and have seen the freshly updated prices on the apps and yet there has been no change to the actual pump prices, so I can quite believe the story he told me as a legitimate, albeit underhanded, tactic.
