WHERE TO FIND GEELONG’S CHEAPEST FUEL

Bellarine petrol price among best in Geelong

MOTORISTS searching for a good deal at the petrol pump should look to the Bellarine Highway, fuel experts say.

RACV senior engineer Nicholas Platt said that Geelong’s average petrol price was 129.9 cents/litre, more than 20 cents lower than the average metropolitan price.

“However, some retailers in Geelong are selling fuel for 127.9 cents/litre, which is only about 5 cents/litre above the wholesale price,” Mr Platt said. “These outlets are predominantly along the east-west Ryrie St/Bellarine Highway corridor and out as far as Leopold.”

Data from crowdsourced fuel price tracking website PetrolSpy showed prices sitting at 127.9 cents/litre at Woolworths Caltex, 7/11 Newcomb and Caltex Moolap.

Similar price points were echoed at APCO outlets throughout the city, and Liberty Petrol Station on Roslyn Road, Belmont.

But the story wasn’t the same outside the city.

Motorists heading to the coast could expect to pay more, with fuel in Winchelsea, Apollo Bay, Torquay and Anglesea rising above 139.9 cents/ litre, according to the RACV’s fuel comparison tool.

Prices in Colac have also remained consistent, with most outlets selling petrol between 134.6 cents and 139.6 cents/litre.

Geelong fuel prices are expected to remain steady throughout the next week, with metropolitan

Melbourne prices also trending downward.

“With wholesale prices relatively stable, it is likely that

Geelong prices will stay low for at least another week and may even drop slightly,” Mr Platt said.

Healthy local competition has helped Geelong avoid skyrocketing prices seen in metropolitan areas such as Melbourne and Sydney.

“Geelong prices, like Melbourne prices, are driven by local competition undercutting and then recouping margin as they near wholesale values, although this has become less pronounced in the past few months for Geelong,” Mr Platt said.

But a smaller market size also often leads to an increase in volatility.

“Geelong prices, however, do rise more quickly than Melbourne prices, but they also fall more quickly due to a much smaller number of services stations in a much smaller area,” Mr Platt said.