South Australian motorists are being encouraged to shop around before filling up, with the State Government revealing almost $20,000 in fines have been issued to petrol stations following a statewide compliance blitz.
The reminder comes as the full fuel excise returned on July 1st, increasing pressure on household budgets and making it more important than ever for drivers to compare prices before heading to the bowser.
Since conflict in the Middle East began, inspectors from Consumer and Business Services (CBS) have carried out more than 1,000 fuel price inspections across metropolitan and regional South Australia to ensure petrol stations are complying with the state’s real-time fuel pricing laws.
The inspections have resulted in 29 expiation notices being issued to service stations, with nearly $20,000 in fines handed out for failing to correctly report fuel prices or list fuel as unavailable. A further 24 warning letters have also been issued.
Under South Australia’s real-time fuel pricing scheme, fuel retailers are required to update a central database within 30 minutes whenever fuel prices change or fuel becomes unavailable. The information is then made available through a range of free fuel price apps, allowing motorists to compare prices before filling up.
Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Michael Brown said, “With the fuel excise now back at its usual level, make sure you are getting the best priced fuel by using the fuel watch apps.
“The Malinauskas Government is cracking down on petrol stations who fail to comply with our real-time petrol price monitoring and South Australians can save more than $100 a year on fuel through our Fuel Watch initiative.”
The government has also strengthened enforcement powers, with new legislation passing State Parliament to significantly increase penalties for retailers who fail to comply.
Later this month, on-the-spot fines for breaches will jump from $550 to $5,000, while the maximum penalty that can be imposed by a court will double from $10,000 to $20,000.
“The government is delivering on our election commitment to make sure petrol stations do the right thing by South Australian motorists with higher penalties and more inspections across the state,” said Michael.
According to the RAA, motorists who consistently use real-time fuel pricing apps can save an average of $117 a year based on typical fuel consumption. Across South Australia, those savings are estimated to total around $58 million annually.
Drivers can compare prices using free apps including the RAA app, Petrol Spy, Motor Mouth, SA Bowser: Should I Fuel? and ServoTrack.
For more information, click here.
