The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy has revealed that Queensland’s drivers checking petrol prices on comparison apps and websites last year almost twice as often as they did the year before.
According to the Department, the drivers checked prices more than 600,000 times per month in 2019, compared to less than 350,000 in 2018.
The surge follows the Department’s fuel price reporting trial, which has required retailers to provide up-to-date prices to the Department, which then makes them available free to app and web developers.
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Anthony Lynham said the trial has clearly been a hit with drivers.
“Drivers have nearly doubled how often they are checking fuel prices each month with the dozen price-comparison apps and websites now available,” Dr Lynham said.
He said an interim report on the two-year trial by Griffith University showed it had helped drive down average fuel prices in South-East Queensland.
“The reduction in average petrol prices means an extra $10 million in the pockets of Brisbane motorists, and an extra $14 million in the pockets of motorists across the south-east,” Dr Lynham said.
“The main purpose of the trial is to make it easy to shop around and save by putting fuel prices into the hands of motivated motorists, but a decline in average prices is a double win for South-East Queenslanders.”
Dr Lynham said more than 1,500 service stations were reporting their bowser prices, with all the data passed on to price comparison apps and websites.
Griffith University is to deliver a final report next year.
