A petrol price app the Allan government promised would help motorists save money at the servo is showing incorrect prices, failing to deliver “real time” updates and forcing small independent stations into time-consuming daily admin or hefty fines.
A Herald Sun investigation into the government’s Servo Saver system found it was riddled with flaws, with petrol prices on the app varying up to 50c/L to the real cost at the bowser.
In one example spotted on Saturday, the petrol price finder in the Service Victoria app showed unleaded fuel at a Lismore station, in western Victoria, was priced $2.30/L, when it really cost a much higher $2.44/L.
Motorists driving to a Bell Park pump were guaranteed by the app that diesel would cost $2.80/L, but were actually stung for $2.95/L – one of the highest prices seen statewide on the weekend.
Meanwhile, app users would have dodged a Clayton station that showed diesel priced at an eye-watering $3.11/L, when it really cost $2.40/L.
The issues come five months after Premier Jacinta Allan announced the fuel caps and locked fuel price rises, spruiking that Victorians could save up to $333 a year by using Servo Saver to find the best-priced fuel near them under the new reforms.
“We know this won’t change everything for families who are doing it tough, but these savings can add up to hundreds of dollars a year,” Ms Allan said in October last year.
Servo Saver shows the price of petrol across the state in the Services Victoria app and allows motorists to compare prices – however there are big questions over the data’s accuracy.
Petrol station operators have been mandated to report their fuel cap – the highest price they planned to charge for petrol the next day – by 2pm every day, and can be fined if they raise their prices within 24 hours.
But operator of petrol station Speedway in Pascoe Vale Nina Ibrahim called the petrol price system a “nightmare”.
She said her prices were not being reliably pushed through to the app, putting her at risk of fines ranging between $3000 and $24,000, and she was even issued a warning on Thursday.
“We have sent multiple emails outlining these issues, including formal notification of unauthorised price changes, and have received no response,” Ms Ibrahim said.
On Saturday, Ms Ibrahim set the price of her unleaded fuel at $249.9c/L, but the app defaulted to the fuel cap she had set the day before, telling customers she was charging $299.9c/L.
It comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to comment on ideas put forward by the International Energy Agency – including encouraging people to work from home and drive more slowly – and whether they would implemented here.
“Well that’s not a suggestion to us, of course,” he said. “But a suggestion to the world.”
The Prime Minister said the head of the IEA, Dr Fatih Birol, would be in Australia on Monday and he would the pair would discuss the oil crisis.
Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos said the Allan government would “take a zero tolerance approach to fuel retailers who think these laws are optional”.
“If you operate a servo and you are not complying with our fair fuel laws, you should expect a visit from the Fair Fuel Taskforce and a fine,” he said.
Petrol stations have up to 30 minutes to report price changes so the app may not show the update right away, according to the Allan government.
Consumer Affairs Victoria has carried out 289 inspections, finding 23 unregistered fuel stations and 16 that were not reporting in the past week alone.
