South Australians can now shop around for cheaper fuel with the introduction of real-time fuel pricing.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman says that motorists are now able to access real-time data through apps to assess what the nearest and best petrol price is.

“This will give motorists purchasing power like never before,” she says.

“All petrol retailers must submit their prices to an aggregator, with the data then available for app developers to use.

“Any change in price must be updated within half an hour, or the retailer risks facing a hefty fine.

“This will ensure motorists are better informed, helping to deliver cost of living relief to households right across the state. The Productivity Commission estimates that access to real-time fuel pricing information will save motorists more than $3 million a year,” she says.

Service stations that fail to comply could face penalties ranging from a $550 expiation fee to a maximum penalty of $10,000.

Consumer and Business Services Commissioner Dini Soulio says his team will be closely monitoring retailers to ensure they are complying with the new laws.

“In the lead-up to the launch of this scheme, my staff worked closely with retailers to ensure they understand their responsibility,” he says.

“We have also commenced a tender process for a data validation service, to ensure accuracy and validity of fuel prices.”

The RAA’s motoring expert, Mark Borlace, says this scheme will be particularly beneficial to motorists near the end of a petrol price cycle.

“Prices tend to jump around and differ greatly at the end of a cycle, so this scheme will help motorists find the cheapest price,” Mr Borlace says.

“The RAA is using this aggregated data to inform its app, which is free for all South Australians. It will allow motorists to search for the best price, and map their route to get the best deal, every day.”

The real-time fuel price scheme will run as a trial for two years.

More information - including apps that are now available and sourcing real-time data from South Australia, as well as details on how to report service stations that have not updated their information - can be found at www.sa.gov.au/fuelprices

Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay