FILLING up at an independent servo could save you money at the bowser.
New research from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission shows the cheapest and highest petrol prices across major capital cities.
The watchdog looked at average prices at major petrol retailers throughout 2017 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
It found Coles Express was the most expensive retailer in all five cities on average while Woolworths and independent servos were generally the cheapest.
The difference in prices on average across retailers ranged from 9.5 cents per litre recorded in Sydney to 3.6 cents per litre in Melbourne.
"Our analysis of petrol prices shows the range between major retailers with the highest average price and lowest average price varied across each city considerably," said the commission's chairman Rod Sims.
"Independent chains were the lowest priced in each of the five major cities and Woolworths was generally below the market average price in most cities. Average prices at Coles Express were the highest in all five cities, and average prices at retail sites where BP and Caltex head office sets the retail price were generally above the market average price.
"The majority of consumers tend to go to the same petrol station every time they fill up. This research shows it might be time to consider which station to fill up at."
Drivers wanting to save money can take advantage of fuel price websites and apps, such as NSW FuelCheck, as well as apps owned by the NRMA, 7-Eleven and Woolworths.
"We want to remind drivers there are plenty of apps they can download for free that will tell them where to buy the cheapest petrol in their area. Many people are paying more than they need to for petrol," Mr Sims said.
"Shopping around has the added benefit of increasing competition by putting pressure on retailers who charge the most to lower their prices or risk losing customers."
