Australians love a deal and hate spending money when they don’t have to, and that rings true to local motorists’ fuel buying habits.
A survey of CarExpert readers uncovered some revealing data about motorists’ spending habits on fuel, and details just how far some will go to save a few dollars.
Of the 1424 readers who responded to our survey, 53 per cent said they won’t travel to save five cents per litre (5c/L) on fuel, but 39 per cent would drive between five to 10 kilometres for a minor discount.
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
However, even more respondents – 54 per cent to be exact – told us they’d drive 5-10km in order to save 10c/L, while 53 per cent would do so to get 15c/L off what they’d pay locally.
While this might seem strange that fewer people would be willing to travel the same distance for a bigger discount, there’s a rise in the number of respondents from even further away (10-20km and 20km+) who’d do just this.
This trend continues when a 20c/L and 40c/L saving is on offer, with the latter making up one of the most even mixes of responses across each distance.
How far will Australians travel to save on fuel?
| Amount saved/distance travelled | Won’t travel | 5-10km | 10-20km | 20km+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5c/L | 53% | 39% | 4% | 4% |
| 10c/L | 31% | 54% | 12% | 4% |
| 15c/L | 21% | 53% | 19% | 7% |
| 20c/L | 15% | 46% | 27% | 12% |
| 40c/L | 12% | 35% | 28% | 25% |
Our survey also uncovered some additional habits about how Australian motorists shop for fuel.
Out of 4009 respondents, 69 per cent said they don’t have a preference for a certain brand of fuel, indicating cost is more important than loyalty.
This was reflected in the responses of 2663 people, who were asked to rank on a scale of one to five – ranging from not at all to highly likely – of how likely they are to shop around for the best price.
Of those who responded, 42 per cent said they were highly likely to shop around for the best price, with the average result of the survey being 3.7 out of 5.
In good news for the nation’s marketing gurus and fuel scientists, 51 per cent of 1850 people surveyed believe premium fuels are significantly better than standard options. By contrast, 19 per cent said they’re just the same, while 30 per cent believe they’re marginally better.
