City v Regional, Petrol Rip off

Neale · 08-07-2012, 05:15 PM

I regularly drive between Bathurst & Sydney & I have noticed recently that the price of fuel has dropped significantly in metro Sydney, yet the price in Bathurst hasnt really changed.

It all came to a head for me today when I filled up at Medlow Bath for $1.24

Then when I got back into Bathurst & the price was $1.42

overall thats 18c difference, or if your filling up a 55L tank thats $9.90 difference

I am only using United as a direct comparison because thats where bought from, the other petrol stations were about the same prices.

So I did a little reasearch & had a look at the average fuel price difference between Sydney & Bathurst.
I found a site that has information compiled by "Orima Reasearch" (http://www.aip.com.au/pricing/retail/ulp/nsw.htm), that has some information on the average fuel prices.

Here are a couple of graphs to illustrate the price differences of fuel between Sydney & Bathurst over the last 12 weeks

Sydney
$1.50 to $1.28 which is a 22c drop

Bathurst
Dropped from $1.53 to $1.48 only 5c

Then there is the average prices for Regional NSW
$1.54 to $1.42 which is only a 12c drop

I can understand the price being slightly higher in regional areas because of the cost to transport the goods etc, but Im feeling a little ripped off that Sydney gets the price drop passed on but Regional NSW doesnt. Im sure if the cost of fuel went up they would pass that on.

Im feeling like going to the local MP & finding out if there is anything that can be done.

mash again · 08-07-2012, 06:17 PM

You can complain, no one will listen, even if they do they are powerless to do anything. I live in regional SA 20km from where alot of the lpg comes from but its still cost more here than Adelaide. Basically they will charge whatever they can get away with, less servos = less competition = bigger prices. Regional will always pay more, Raa, Racq or whatever it is near you will complain, people will get upset, ACCC will get mentioned but nothing can be done because there is nothing Illegal happening so nothing will change!

Jim Goose · 08-07-2012, 06:21 PM

Townsville has been usually 10c dearer then Brisbane, yet 30km out of town at a small indepentant servo, the price there is usually 6c cheaper then in town!

Explain that one!

||| · 08-07-2012, 06:22 PM

groceries are the same. i always pick up milk & bread in the city when i can. too many greedy shopowners in the regional areas

galaxy xr8 · 08-07-2012, 06:32 PM

It has been consistantly 20c dearer here in Bendigo then Melb.

dallasv8 · 08-07-2012, 06:54 PM

$1.43 for e10 ($90 odd to fill the RTV) at united in Ayr QLd....caltex and bp re usually dearer

**El Venom** · 08-07-2012, 08:06 PM

In the country town I live in we have 2 servos and while one changes its price the other doesnt and its the same in the next town.

Currently in the next town there is a difference of 12 cent per litre between the 2 servos. While the fuel is about the same as the big towns in the region its not always the case. When the prices rise I find that the little servos who dont change there prices are alot cheaper even compared to the bigger city servos. Only issue is there is no choice of which type of fuel you can get.

I think in the country areas servos charge a little more due to the transport costs and the fact there isnt alot of competion. I know that when I need to fill the 100L tank on the 4x4 I just go to the closest servo and pay what I have to to keep going

BHDOGS · 08-07-2012, 09:02 PM

Capitalism at work

Tonz · 08-07-2012, 09:49 PM

Pt Lincoln SA petrol about 30c dearer than Adelaide and the ships unload here before heading to Adelaide.
There are 6 servos in town 2 of these owned by the grocery chains, but we've just had an independant supermarket open up and they offer discount fuel dockets to 2 of the independant servos.

Bring it on. G'day Jim

babyf6 · 08-07-2012, 10:04 PM

In ingham, we just had a Gull servo open up. It has driven down the prices of the woolies/caltex and shell/coles servos. ulp dropped from 1.52 to 1.45 in one day, which is the lowest it has been for a year or two

XR6T0Y · 08-07-2012, 10:25 PM

(Maitland-Rutherford [I know, MASSIVE distance apart HAHA]) I think the worst I have seen (BP Woolies one) was an 8c difference. And that was only when the Rutherford first changed to Woolies BP. Been getting 98 at about 1.46-1.48 lately. God only know how high it will go shortly (blaming it on Carbon 'tax')

Yellow_Festiva · 09-07-2012, 12:27 AM

I know those 2 stations very well as I have done that trip almost a half dozen times this year. I can get to Bathurst and back with 2/3rds a tank so just plan to not fill up there. Not good for the people there however. What was the Shell and Caltex selling for I wonder? Both those United servos are on the main drag, which probably adds 5-7cents to the cost.

In NZ petrol price is very stable... Out of way locations only added very little to the cost.

Neale · 09-07-2012, 02:12 AM

I realise there is a price difference between the country & the city. I can understand 5c-10c difference which sometimes it can be.

The reason why I am questioning this is because the average price difference has grown from less than 5c to 20c in 12 weeks. Because the petrol stations havent passed on the drop in fuel prices in regional areas, which is a ripoff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I know those 2 stations very well as I have done that trip almost a half dozen times this year. I can get to Bathurst and back with 2/3rds a tank so just plan to not fill up there. Not good for the people there however. What was the Shell and Caltex selling for I wonder? Both those United servos are on the main drag, which probably adds 5-7cents to the cost.

In NZ petrol price is very stable... Out of way locations only added very little to the cost.

The United servos are usually the cheapest ones despite being on the main drag (all of the servos are on the main drag anyway in Bathurst).

Here are some prices at other servos on the way home.

Blackheath

I couldnt get a pic at Mount Victoria but the Caltex was within a couple of cents of the United at Medlow Bath

South Bowenfells (just out of Lithgow)

Yetholm

Raglan

Kelso

Bathurst

bartaxr8 · 09-07-2012, 08:09 AM

Bloody hell, how is the price of LPG? That is over 20 cpl more than I pay in West Gippsland. That Shell gas station is 30 cpl dearer.

302 XC · 09-07-2012, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |||

groceries are the same. i always pick up milk & bread in the city when i can. too many greedy shopowners in the regional areas

Have you not allowed the various freight costs ???

Im 100 odd Ks outta brissie CBD and i regularly get fuel cheaper outta the CBD than in it ...
The local watering hole charges $6 a can of jimmie,wether you buy 1 or 6,and blames freight as the reason , yet 20 Ks further outta town a 6 pack is brissie prices...
A bag of cement is $9.50 45 mins outta brissie,but 100ks outta brissie its $12, reason , damn freight ...

What i find funny regarding cheaper fuel and all the people who carry on, they sit there with their engine running when its 5,6, or more cars deep in the line and say they save $6 a tank ....
Money is tight, but its not that tight ill sit there bored stoopid waiting 30 mins or more to save $6 a tank
Or people who travel 20,30 or more ks to save 10c a tin of cat/dog food and only buy 1....

Bushbasher · 09-07-2012, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonz

Pt Lincoln SA petrol about 30c dearer than Adelaide and the ships unload here before heading to Adelaide.
There are 6 servos in town 2 of these owned by the grocery chains, but we've just had an independant supermarket open up and they offer discount fuel dockets to 2 of the independant servos.

Bring it on. G'day Jim

Don't believe it Tonz, We both know they're all keeping their prices up because they can. Historically Shell Tasman has been the market leader and kept the price in check and the independents were always 5cpl higher on petrol and 8-12cpl on LPG. Now they're all the same within 1c which tells me they're all in on it now. The independents COULD bring their price down but don't because Coles and Woolies haven't brought their prices down. Coles and Woolies, of coarse, are using the "market forces" excuse and blaming everyone else for the prices, I'll send you the emails I got back from them when I complained if you like. When Hales in Tumby Bay (and he pays COD for all his fuels), can match Pt Lincoln prices on petrol and diesel and UNDERCUT the LPG price by 8cpl you KNOW all the servos in Lincoln are gouging eveyone.

Bushbasher

Yellow_Festiva · 09-07-2012, 11:45 AM

I agree that it is much more expensive. Freight probably has a part to play with it. Having said that, When in Cowra last I paid around $6.15 for a bag of cement at Bunnings, which is about the same as anywhere in Sydney. A loaded trailer of green waste in Cowra set me back less than $10..

On the flip side, the price of realestate in Bathurst is 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of Sydney..

If I were to live there I would gladly pay 20c/L more for petrol knowing that I could pay off my house in 3 years and probably have a more relaxed lifestyle...

Everything has it's pros and cons... what do you think the regional folk say about our city congestion and realestate???

Cheers,

Jason

devilcv8 · 09-07-2012, 10:01 PM

Goulburn has been as much as 14 cents cheaper than Canberra, and even now is still cheaper. No discount e10 is $1.34 at shell and caltex. Take the 4c off and that is an even$1.30.

Didn't pay attention to Canberra prices today but apart from the new woolies servo at epic, nothing is below $1.40.

JamesR · 09-07-2012, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartaxr8

Bloody hell, how is the price of LPG? That is over 20 cpl more than I pay in West Gippsland. That Shell gas station is 30 cpl dearer.

theres a 15-20cpl difference between lpg/petrol from Yarrragon to Longworry. from Yarragon to Sale the prices are pretty much the same. its ridiculous. lpg is in the mid-high 70cpl and petrol 1.40ish.