A no-frills unmanned service station in Forrestfield has been named the cheapest site in Perth for unleaded petrol in 2018.

According to FuelWatch data, FastFuel 24/7 had an average of 135.7 cents per litre (cpl) for the year, followed by United Neerabup on 136.1 cpl and Puma Neerabup on 136.3 cpl.

Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard said the top ten cheapest sites in Perth were all independent retailers.

“There are no major retailers listed in the top ten this year, but there are times when these service stations might still offer the best price in your area so it always pays to check the prices on the FuelWatch website rather being loyal to any particular brand or site,” he said.

“There are currently ten unmanned sites in Perth that have sprung up in recent years but we don’t think this will necessarily be a growing trend for the future.

“Many fuel retailers are expanding their convenience store offerings to consumers to provide another income stream for their business, but it is good for consumers to have a choice of quick pay-at-the-pump sites or those that provide a wider range of services.

“It’s interesting to note that the FastFuel 24/7 site at Forrestfield does not follow the weekly price cycle like most other sites, but it is still cheaper on average to fill up on Sundays and Mondays before the Tuesday price hike.”

The average price for ULP in 2018 was 143.7 cpl, much higher than the previous three years, but under the 2014 average of 147.6 and eclipsing the 2016 average of 116.5 cpl.

“2018 was the year we hit the highest ever recorded daily average ULP price of 165.5 cents per litre on 16 October but luckily retail prices have dropped rapidly in recent months with a 38 per cent reduction in the international benchmark price,” Mr Hillyard said.

“When you compare the annual statistics over the past, it highlights the volatility of fuel market prices determined largely by fluctuations in international prices and the value of the Australian dollar against the US dollar.

“Prices have levelled off in December and Christmas prices are expected to be much the same as this week but, due to the volatility of the market, it’s difficult to predict beyond that.”

The record fuel price this year resulted in record visits to the FuelWatch website which recorded an average of 1.1 million visits per month in 2018, peaking at 1.5 million visits in October.

Fuel price information is available on the mobile compatible www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au site and after 2.30pm each day motorists can compare both today’s and tomorrow’s prices. Email alerts can also be sent out daily. Alternatively, phone 1300 30 40 54.

Top 10 cheapest unleaded fuel sites in Perth for 2018:

Cheapest metropolitan ULP retailers for 2018 by region:

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Media Contact: Alan Hynd, (08) 6552 9248 / 0429 078 791 / alan.hynd@demirs.wa.gov.au