Fuel

All NSW petrol station operators are required to display price signs (unless it is inconsistent with local council planning restrictions). These signs must:

• be positioned and lit so that any price displayed can be readily seen by motorists approaching the petrol station when the station is open
• display the standard retail price - that is, the price available to anyone, without discounts or other special offers, expressed as the price per litre
• include the price of E10, LPG and diesel (if these are sold and the service station sells four or more fuels)
• display the price of all fuels (for a service station that sells up to four fuels)
• display the prices of at least four fuels (for a service station that sells more than four fuels).

Fuel prices can be displayed in any order, and from 1 January 2017, the previous requirement to display top-selling fuels on price signs no longer applies.

Petrol price signs can contain information about a discount or special offer (for example, "save 4 cents per litre"), as long as the actual price displayed is the price available to all customers.

These signage requirements help motorists in NSW make an informed choice about their fuel purchase. It also helps drive competition.

Service stations are also required to display the octane rating (or Research Octane Number) of E10, regular and premium unleaded petrol at the pump.

The Commonwealth Competition and Consumer Act 2010 prohibits anti-competitive behaviour (such as price fixing) by any industry.

If you have any information on petrol price fixing, contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on 1300 302 502 or email [email protected].

Discount fuel schemes (like shopper docket discounts) offer cash rebates when you purchase fuel.

Some schemes require membership and others require the consumer to meet certain terms and conditions to be eligible for the reduced price.

Petrol price signs can promote discount schemes, provided the sign also displays the price (without discount) available to all customers.

Report misleading discount fuel schemes

We are currently investigating misleading and deceptive fuel discount schemes at NSW petrol outlets and service stations.

If you think you’ve been misled by unreasonable or undisclosed conditions attached to a fuel discount offer, we’d like to hear about your experience.

Our investigations rely on people who have witnessed illegal conduct, providing a written statement and attending Court. For this reason, we are not accepting anonymous information.

To report misleading or deceptive discount fuel schemes, make a complaint with us.

Please note, we are not investigating the price of fuel or changes in the price of fuel.

If you are searching for a specific fuel type and find that a station near you isn’t showing in FuelCheck, it may be because the service station doesn’t sell that particular fuel or it has temporarily run out of stock.

If you still find that a station near you isn’t showing up, you can report the issue both on the webpage and in the app.

You should not see a different price, as service station operators are required to ensure the price of a fuel in FuelCheck matches the standard price at the pump. However, if you see a price difference, you should first alert the service station operator. If this fails to resolve the issue, or if you are not satisfied with the operator’s response, you can make a complaint with us:

Making a complaint using the app

To lodge a price discrepancy complaint directly through FuelCheck, you need to do this while you’re still at the service station.

To bring up the FuelCheck complaint form, tap on the relevant station in map view and tap ‘Report Price Mismatch’.

The service station detail will automatically add to the form and you’ll then be prompted to attach evidence of the price discrepancy which could include a photo of the service station signage or bowser display screen, or a receipt showing price paid).

Never use your phone while driving, traffic penalties may apply.

Making a complaint on the NSW Fair Trading website

If you would prefer to make the complaint later, you can complete a general complaint form and attach your pricing discrepancy evidence through our website.

Please note: You always need to include evidence in order to verify the price of the fuel at the particular time you were at the service station.

NSW Fair Trading reviews each FuelCheck complaint. Depending on the circumstances, the service station may be fined for non-compliance. If necessary, penalty notices of up to $550 can be issued.

FuelCheck is designed to find the cheapest petrol in or near the suburb you have requested. Sometimes it will show a nearby suburb where the cheapest fuel can be found. You can then decide if you want to drive to the cheapest petrol station or buy closer to your location.

Reports on adulterated fuel can be made to the national Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources by submitting an online complaint form or by calling (02) 6213 6000.

Please note: The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources cannot help consumers with claims for compensation from suppliers. If you would like compensation for damages and loss, please refer to our Repairs, replacements and refunds page and make a complaint with us.