With fuel prices stretching household budgets, motorists are increasingly turning to online tools to find cheaper petrol and diesel.
Unleaded and diesel prices have fluctuated significantly in recent months, with prices currently ranging from about $2.30 to $3 a litre depending on location.
Earlier this year, the Australian Government temporarily halved the fuel excise on petrol and diesel for three months in response to global oil price spikes linked to conflicts in the Middle East.
The temporary measure has since ended, leaving motorists looking for other ways to reduce their fuel bills.
So, with prices continuing to vary between service stations, how can drivers find the cheapest fuel?
According to Google Trends, some of the most searched fuel apps and online services in Australia over the past year have included NRMA, Petrol Spy Australia, RACV, RACQ, Waze, NSW FuelCheck, 7-Eleven Australia and GasBuddy.
NRMA, Petrol Spy Australia and RACV are among the most frequently used services for motorists looking to compare prices.
A local resident said she regularly used Petrol Spy to find the best deal.
“My car is a diesel, so finding the cheapest price is a must,” she said.
“Using Petrol Spy allows me to view a live map of all current fuel prices around my local area.”
Fuel price apps allow motorists to search their local area and compare prices at nearby service stations.
Most feature interactive maps that allow users to select their fuel type and view prices across different fuel brands and locations. Some also display when a price was last updated, helping users judge how current the information is.
For motorists willing to spend a few minutes checking prices before filling up, these tools can make it easier to compare nearby stations and potentially save money at the bowser.
However, prices can change quickly, so motorists should check the latest available information before making a detour to a cheaper station.
This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends. It uses Google Trends data to explore search interest in fuel price apps. Google Trends data is aggregated and anonymous. Search interest is measured on a relative scale and does not represent total search volume.