14 hours ago
7
If you’ve visited a petrol station in the past couple of weeks, you're probably across the inflated pricing at some bowsers – with regular unleaded surpassing $2 a litre at some servos across the country.
And while authorities said the high prices are reflective of people panic-buying rather than a supply issue, some experts are sharing financial hacks that could lead to a lower price at the pump.
According to finance expert and author Joel Gibson, there are “so many discount schemes” now offered by supermarkets, insurance companies, energy retailers, toll road companies and motoring organisations.
“Chances are you’ve got access to a 4c/L discount if you want it – and often you can stack it with in-store offers to get 10c or 12c [off]. Don’t fill up at a more expensive servo just to get a discount – that would be a false economy,” Gibson told Drive.
Additionally, the finance expert said some savvy drivers also utilise discounted gift cards and price-lock features to further bring down the cost at the bowser.
“Some money-savers also use discounted gift cards to pay, such as WISH or Ampol gift cards. This allows you to get a double discount in some cases, such as 4c/L with a supermarket docket plus 3 per cent off the gift card.
“There’s also the 7-11 Fuel price lock, which is capped these days but still allows you to lock in a low price for a week so you get an extra tank at that price,” he advised.
| Discount stacking examples | Estimated potential savings based on regular unleaded (c/L) |
| NRMA membership (4c/L) Woolworths discount (4c/L) Ampol discount (4c/L) | 12c/L |
| RACV membership (2c/L) Woolworths discount(4c/L) EG Ampol (4c/L) | 10c/L |
| Budget Direct (4c/L) Ready Express/Shell and Coles (10c/L – when you spend $20 in-store) | $14c/L |
However, experts said discount stacking – where drivers combine offers from different companies – is generally the best way to reduce fuel bills during high pricing cycles.
“With prices elevated at say $2.50/L, if you buy a $100 WISH gift card at a 3 per cent discount via a membership program such as NRMA, then you stack the 4c/L NRMA discount with a Woolies 4c/L discount and a 4c/L discount in-store at Ampol, you could get 40L of fuel for about $92 instead of $100,” Gibson said.
That equates to a discount of about 20 cents a litre.
Meanwhile, NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said stacking multiple discounts from automotive membership clubs and other retailers was the best way to see a substantial discount at the bowser right now.
NRMA currently offers a 5c and 4c per litre discount on premium and regular fuel, respectively. Khoury suggested members should stack these promotions – on top of other promotions offered by supermarkets and service stations such as Ampol – to receive up to 13c off per litre at eligible servos.
“We encourage all members to do all the above [discount stacking]. Some people will see the discount. If you’re a Woolies member and [an NRMA member] and you need to buy a couple of things, that’s when you can stack the discount and it becomes really competitive,” Khoury told Drive.
Meanwhile, an RACV spokesperson said its members have saved millions of dollars on fuel through its discount offers.
“Since the end of September 2025 to the end of February 2026, more than 318,000 members used the fuel benefit, saving a combined $3.8 million across 144 million litres of fuel purchased," an RACV spokesperson told Drive.
But if you’re not a member of any automotive club in the country, fear not: numerous retailers, such as 7-Eleven/Mobil and BP, are currently offering temporary fuel discounts when drivers purchase additional items.
As reported by Drive in March 2026, drivers can also stack supermarket discounts – on top of other temporary promotions – though it’s worth noting these offers are only redeemable under specific terms and conditions.
For example, Woolworths offers a 4c discount per litre at participating Ampol petrol stations. However, drivers must spend at least $30 at the supermarket, and the discount applies only if they have an Everyday Rewards membership.
Additionally, the discount only applies within 28 days of scanning the $30 purchase.
Likewise, Coles and its petrol partner Ready Express/Shell offer 4c off per litre, though drivers must spend $20 at the supermarket and use the docket – either printed or digital – within four weeks to be eligible for the discount.
While it may be tempting to use these discounts on premium fuel, Gibson advised against it unless your car needs 95 or 98, as the value of the offer isn't enough to justify it.
“Premium fuel is usually around 25c/L more expensive than ULP91, so a bigger discount won't cover that gap – only fill up with premium fuel if you need to. Don't do it to save a buck. You won't," he told Drive.
Beyond discount stacking, experts also said the best way to maximise fuel discounts at the bowser is to check state and territory fuel pricing apps to find the closest cheap retailers available.
"Never fill up without checking a fuel price app. There are national ones like Petrol Spy and Ezy St, or state ones like Fuelcheck NSW or from RACV, RACQ. They're mostly free, and they can sometimes show you a 50c/L difference between nearby servos," Gibson advised.
"Many also show you the graph of its price cycle, so you know whether to fill up now or wait; it's a no-brainer. If you can, then stack discounts at the servo with the cheapest fuel, you could save many times over – but the price matters most for anything."
Meanwhile, Khoury from the NRMA said members who have access to the motoring organisation's mobile app are also informed of when the fuel cycle is on the way down.
"We send out notifications to our members through the app to tell them when prices have dropped to the bottom. So if they need to fill up, we tell people when [is the best time] to fill up because that's when the prices are at their cheapest," he told Drive.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
