Getting Dudded On 98ron Fuel!

[juzza]

There was that article in one of the big papers not long ago about how crude oil prices have dropped significantly since the GFC however petrol prices have barely dropped. Just petrol companies trying to squeeze every dollar out of people....

[HtwCHACtkh]

I have a method that I always follow to get back at the fuel companies for crap like this.

1. Check if the person before you has emptied their hose of fuel, if no you gain an extra 20mL or so!

2. Fill up to either $xx.x2 or $xx.x7 so you can get an extra $0.02 of fuel for free!

3. Always when done empty the fuel hose into your tank (another extra 20mL!), careful not to waste any that didn't come out - leave that little amount for the next person.

4. Never use the preset function as it slows down the pump nearing the preset amount of money hindering you from doing (3) and you can't set cents so it hinders you from (2)

5. Always fill up well after sundown as the fuel is slightly more dense so you get more actual fuel per litre.

I feel slightly more content after doing all this at the bowsers. BTW if you use discount coupons it gets more much more complicated with step 2.

EDIT: Has anyone tried Freedom 98 e10?

[SS8_Gohan]

There was that article in one of the big papers not long ago about how crude oil prices have dropped significantly since the GFC however petrol prices have barely dropped. Just petrol companies trying to squeeze every dollar out of people....

crude dropped, aud dropped - crude rose, aud rose - there's an equilibrium there that keeps prices relatively constant. Not perfect, but relatively constant. Not overly complicated really.

[daisu]

I have a method that I always follow to get back at the fuel companies for crap like this.

1. Check if the person before you has emptied their hose of fuel, if no you gain an extra 20mL or so!

2. Fill up to either $xx.x2 or $xx.x7 so you can get an extra $0.02 of fuel for free!

3. Always when done empty the fuel hose into your tank (another extra 20mL!), careful not to waste any that didn't come out - leave that little amount for the next person.

4. Never use the preset function as it slows down the pump nearing the preset amount of money hindering you from doing (3) and you can't set cents so it hinders you from (2)

5. Always fill up well after sundown as the fuel is slightly more dense so you get more actual fuel per litre.

I feel slightly more content after doing all this at the bowsers. BTW if you use discount coupons it gets more much more complicated with step 2.

EDIT: Has anyone tried Freedom 98 e10?

1) wow 20mL!! At $1.50/litre that is 3 cents worth.

2) This is applicable only if you pay in cash and are not buying anything else in the store.

3) again with the 3 cents.

4) have never seen anyone use the preset function?

5) pumps have temperature compensation built in. Even if temp compensation wasn't built in, for a 75litre tank you'd be looking at stuff all difference in volume. If there was a big difference it would end up expanding in your tank and overflow anyway, not to mention all cars would then have to have fuel temperature compensation built into the ECU otherwise your air/fuel ratios would be out depending on time of day.

So, max saving is like 8 cents worth out of a $100 purchase. If you are that concerned about sticking it to the fuel companies I'd suggest riding a bike.

[mad082]

another thing about the getting fuel at night thing, just how much do you think a few thousand litres of liquid in a tank underground is going to be affected by the heat of the day? i'd be guessing that at absolute most it varies by 1%.

secondly, while the fuel is more dense when cold, your fuel tank will have contracted a bit due to the cold (sweet F all, but the difference in the fuel from day to night is sweet F all as well so might as well mention it) so you will fit less fuel into the tank, so it would even out.

and as above, if you pay by card then you are infact paying that extra 2c.

if you really want to stick it to the fuel companies, limit your use. wind the boost down on your car (will save you fuel at high throttle). don't drive around because you are bored. if you drive past a servo everyday but don't fill up then and then make a special trip to go get fuel, change your habbits so you get fuel on a trip when you are going past, or if you drive past a servo all the time yet use a servo that you have to go out of your way to get to because it is the tiniest amount cheaper but takes you 10 or 15 mins to get there, you are probably spending more to drive to the cheaper servo than you are saving.

here's an example of what i'm talking about. for this example i'll use the fuel economy of 10L/100kms as it is the easiest. and lets say that fuel costs $1.45/L, and you fill up with 50L.

ok so at 10L/100kms you are using doing 10km/L. so that means that if you drive 1km out of your way to get fuel you are spending 14.5 cents, so once you take into account that you have to then do the return trip, that's 29c per km out of your way. so you have to be getting fuel at about 0.6 of a cent cheaper per km you drive out of your way, based off those figures. so if you drive 5kms you would have to be saving 3c a litre.

if you get 13L/100kms then it jumps up to about 38 cents per km and you would have to be saving 0.75 centrs per litre, and 5kms out of your way would need to save you nearly 4c a litre.

[xALmoN]

Thats a lot of math marc, i just pump wherever, where there's 95. Good enough for me.

[Mayuri Krab]

1) wow 20mL!! At $1.50/litre that is 3 cents worth.

3) again with the 3 cents.

Back in my country (China) 3 Australian cents is equate to almost 20 Chinese cents, which is enough to buy 2 fried bean curd sticks, I still remember buying them for 10c each back in primary school, taste yummy .

BTW we had 1c coins, enough to buy 1 bubble gum.

[GTR-N1]

A year ago, servos were charging about 10c more for 98RON petrol than ULP.

I think if memory serves me that 2 yrs ago, the difference was about 9c

Now that difference has jumped up to 14c and even more.

NRMA has put in a complaint to the ACCC that this must stop.

Any thoughts? Anyone in the know? Y-Y-Y?

NRMA = Toothless tiger

Difference can get to around 16c (between regular ULP and 98) eh?

Or is it worse where you live?

Are "independents" fairer than "shopping centre associated outlets"?

[numleg]

My Chance to rant.

I live in Sydney and work away from home in Orange and i see a massive price difference between fuel types 91/98 etc and between areas.

Most of the time there is over 20 cents per liter difference between Sydney and Orange even on the same day. I understand their are transport costs and lower profits due to smaller volumes but really 20 cents?

So add the 98 octane tax 12-20 cents + "country town" tax 15-20 cents and you feel pretty ripped off.

I worked out the extra fuel bill for 12 months in my stagea @ about 12.5L/100KM paying for 98 and having to fill up in Orange Vs

A second car which was free (parents no longer wanted a claped out old laser) which I just had to maintain and register it.

Lower fuel consumption plus being able to do a round trip from Sydney and back without buying the over priced fuel in orange pretty much covered rego, 3rd party insurance and an oil change.

I grew up in rural NSW 5+ hrs from Sydney/Melbourne and it was only ever 5 cents difference between us and the city back then WTF is going on?

VENT! RANT! RAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[numleg]

Also Terry "independants" are no fairer in my experience, The United's between Orange and Sydney are often the same price or higher than "big brands" in the same area.

[GTR-N1]

My Chance to rant.

I live in Sydney and work away from home in Orange and i see a massive price difference between fuel types 91/98 etc and between areas.

WTF is going on?

VENT! RANT! RAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just cause for lugging a cargo bay full of fuel Tom? Lessens the pain?

Or are you out at Orange to too long a stretch?

[numleg]

I did that a few times but jerry cans + funnel + fuel stench + spilling fuel in my boots one morning.

Bugger that I'll go back to getting ripped off.

I had the Laser as a second car for 18 months I could do the round trip on a $60 tank. Saddly almost 300 000 KMs and two lots of L/P platers have got the best of the old girl.

[Mayuri Krab]

Ended up waiting for 1/2 hour in line at the cheaper Caltex near work rather than going to the shell near home & ended up saving ~$2.5.

Well worth it.

[GTR-N1]

Ended up waiting for 1/2 hour in line at the cheaper Caltex near work rather than going to the shell near home & ended up saving ~$2.5.

Well worth it.

Were most of the motorists in front of you, MK, women? Or fairly equal gender numbers? Just checking against some theorist on the Today show...

[numleg]

Terry your post is from 5:30am either you've been up partying all night or you are awake far too early for a Saturday.

[GTR-N1]

Well it's no fun Tom - stuck on the side of the road on a cold, brisk morning with an empty fuel tank!

You gave me 3 minutes credit! - Hey the clock's an hour behind us - so an hour and 3 minutes... hehe...

[numleg]

Posting about running out of fuel in a thread about the rip off cost of fuel. Thats gota be ironic or something.

[kimbod]

Lucky cars aren't powered by coke or pepsi. Then there would be a lot people complaing. Or worse mineral water!!

[Miguelone]

4) have never seen anyone use the preset function?

I use it sometimes when I'm not filling up completely, it's nice to just hold down the trigger and stare off into space until it stops flowing.

[numleg]

Lucky cars aren't powered by coke or pepsi. Then there would be a lot people complaing. Or worse mineral water!!

Yeah but if i don't want to pay for Coke/Pepsi i can buy a bottle of home brand cola for 90 cents and water pretty much for free from a tap.

The cheap alternative to buying over priced fuel.... walking.