Australian fuel price news and guides
How the price on the sign is put together, what moves it, and how to pay less, alongside the latest fuel and oil headlines. Every guide is written from the wholesale price data we collect each weekday, going back to 2004.
Our guides
Where your money goes when you buy a litre of petrol
A litre of petrol taken apart into crude oil, refining and shipping, excise, GST and the servo's margin, using this week's figures. Includes a calculator for what a move in oil or the dollar does to the price.
Why fuel rose faster than crude oil in 2026
Strip tax out of the wholesale price and compare it with crude, and in 2026 the gap for petrol nearly tripled and for diesel it peaked at four times its usual size. What that gap is, and why Australia is exposed to it.
What the 2026 excise cut did to fuel prices, day by day
Excise fell by 32c a litre in April 2026 and came back in two steps. The wholesale data shows petrol passed each change straight through, while diesel's cut was swallowed within a week.
How to tell if you're paying too much for fuel
The wholesale price of fuel is published every weekday. Add 10 to 15c and you have a fair pump price. How to use it, where it doesn't apply, and this week's figures for every capital.
How petrol price cycles work, and when to fill up
Five capitals have petrol price cycles lasting from one to seven weeks. How a cycle works, how long each city's runs, and a simple way to tell where you are in it using the wholesale price.
Why diesel costs more than petrol, and why it hasn't always
Same excise, very different prices. Twenty-two years of wholesale data on when diesel costs more than petrol, the years it cost less, and why the gap blew out in 2022 and again in 2026.
Why fuel costs more in Darwin and Hobart
Ten years of wholesale data for all seven capitals. The big five sit within a cent of each other, Darwin and Hobart pay 4 to 5c more, and Perth is usually cheapest.
What 22 years of Australian fuel prices show
Every year of wholesale petrol and diesel prices from 2004 to 2026, from the 2008 spike and the 2015 collapse to the COVID low, the 2022 shock and this year's records, and what drove each.
E10, 91 or premium, which is actually cheaper to run?
E10 is cheaper per litre but carries less energy. At $2.50 a litre it needs to be about 7c cheaper than 91 just to break even. A calculator for your own car, and when premium is worth it.
How to check servo prices in your state
Every state now has a fuel price reporting scheme, with very different rules. The official service for each, what servos must report, and where you can see tomorrow's prices today.
How to spend less on fuel, in dollars a year
Timing the price cycle, checking tomorrow's prices, choosing the right grade and easing off on the highway, each worked out in dollars a year for a typical car, and ranked.
Industry news
Headlines from other publishers about fuel and oil prices, refreshed every 30 minutes. Each one links to the original article.