WATCH PRICING CYCLE

STOP waiting for the light to come on before buying fuel.

I used to, when I had a small car with excellent fuel efficiency that ran on regular unleaded.

Then we got a big car with poorer efficiency that runs on ultra premium unleaded, which is 15-20 cents a litre more expensive.

Mrs Rolfe loved the car, but I hated how much extra it cost to operate, so I changed my buying behaviour.

Instead of waiting for the bowser symbol to illuminate on the dash, I now wait for the bottom of the pricing cycle. I don’t have to pick the absolute bottom, just near it. That usually gives me a window of about a week to buy at a good price.

Once prices are in this window, it doesn’t matter if my tank is near empty or half-full — I try to fill up.

I also use the NSW Government’s fuel check app before deciding where to buy. It is very useful when I am somewhere I don’t know well.

Earlier this year my family and I drove from Sydney to Newcastle.

I hadn’t filled up before leaving and prices had shot up overnight.

Driving the Pacific Highway through Lindfield, Killara and Pymble — places I have no knowledge of — it appeared every station we passed was charging 26c/L more than I had seen in my own patch the day before.

My wife opened fuel check and used its map. She found a BP 2km away which hadn’t raised prices. We took the detour and saved $18.