- ACCC monitoring of fuel prices following cut in fuel excise
- Petrol price cycles in capital cities
- Petrol prices in Sydney
- Petrol prices in Melbourne
- Petrol prices in Brisbane
- Petrol prices in Adelaide
- Petrol prices in Perth
- If you have information that a fuel retailer is not competing fairly
- More information
ACCC monitoring of fuel prices following cut in fuel excise
The ACCC acknowledges the Federal Budget announcement of a six-month reduction in fuel excise from 30 March 2022. We are monitoring fuel prices following this cut in fuel excise.
See Monitoring fuel prices following the excise cut for the latest information and updates on what the ACCC has found from monitoring activities.
Petrol prices move up and down in regular patterns or cycles. The cheapest and most expensive days to buy petrol can change from cycle to cycle. Use price cycles to help you decide when to buy petrol.
Petrol price cycles in capital cities

A petrol price cycle is a movement in retail price from a low point (or trough) to a high point (or peak) to a subsequent low point. In these cycles, prices steadily go down for a period followed by a sharp increase.
Price cycles are the result of deliberate pricing policies of petrol retailers, and are not directly related to changes in wholesale costs.
The duration of petrol price cycles in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide varies from cycle to cycle, and has increased in recent years.
In 2019, price cycle durations in these capital cities ranged from a low of 13 days to a high of 38 days.
Disclaimer
Historical data can only give an indication of the cheapest and most expensive days to buy petrol in the future, so consumers should use this information as a general guide only.
The charts are updated daily from Monday to Friday at around midday, and show average daily prices for the last 45 days. Updates on Mondays include prices for the preceding Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Buying tips are usually updated around midday on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The buying tips may not always seem apparent from the charts. This is because the charts show historical prices.
The charts show average daily regular unleaded petrol for all cities.
Petrol prices in Sydney
Buying tip (updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday):
- prices are decreasing but they are likely to decrease further
- if possible, motorists should delay buying petrol until later.
The chart below shows daily average regular unleaded petrol prices in Sydney over the past 45 days.
Source: FUELtrac
Information on the past five price cycles in Sydney is shown below:
First day of cycle (low price) | No. of days to highest price in the cycle | Date of highest price in the cycle | Days to next cycle (next low price) | Total days in cycle |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sat 20 Nov 21 | 15 | Sun 05 Dec 21 | 31 | 46 |
Wed 05 Jan 22 | 14 | Wed 19 Jan 22 | 19 | 33 |
Mon 07 Feb 22 | 13 | Sun 20 Feb 22 | 12 | 25 |
Fri 04 Mar 22 | 11 | Tue 15 Mar 22 | 35 | 46 |
Tue 19 Apr 22 | 12 | Sun 01 May 22 | 10 | 22 |
Petrol prices in Melbourne
Buying tip (updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday):
- prices appear to be around the lowest point of the cycle
- now is a good time for motorists to buy petrol.
The chart below shows daily average regular unleaded petrol prices in Melbourne over the past 45 days.
Source: FUELtrac
Information on the past five price cycles in Melbourne is shown below:
First day of cycle (low price) | No. of days to highest price in the cycle | Date of highest price in the cycle | Days to next cycle (next low price) | Total days in cycle |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thu 11 Nov 21 | 13 | Wed 24 Nov 21 | 20 | 33 |
Tue 14 Dec 21 | 28 | Tue 11 Jan 22 | 16 | 44 |
Thu 27 Jan 22 | 11 | Mon 07 Feb 22 | 15 | 26 |
Tue 22 Feb 22 | 21 | Tue 15 Mar 22 | 35 | 56 |
Tue 19 Apr 22 | 7 | Tue 26 Apr 22 | 11 | 18 |
Petrol prices in Brisbane
Buying tip (updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday):
- prices are decreasing but they are likely to decrease further
- if possible, motorists should delay buying petrol until later.
The chart below shows daily average regular unleaded petrol prices in Brisbane over the past 45 days.
Source: FUELtrac
Information on the past five price cycles in Brisbane is shown below:
First day of cycle (low price) | No. of days to highest price in the cycle | Date of highest price in the cycle | Days to next cycle (next low price) | Total days in cycle |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fri 12 Nov 21 | 12 | Wed 24 Nov 21 | 38 | 50 |
Sat 01 Jan 22 | 15 | Sun 16 Jan 22 | 18 | 33 |
Thu 03 Feb 22 | 12 | Tue 15 Feb 22 | 16 | 28 |
Thu 03 Mar 22 | 12 | Tue 15 Mar 22 | 35 | 47 |
Tue 19 Apr 22 | 10 | Fri 29 Apr 22 | 11 | 21 |
Petrol prices in Adelaide
Buying tip (updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday):
- prices appear to be around the lowest point of the cycle
- now is a good time for motorists to buy petrol.
The chart below shows daily average regular unleaded petrol prices in Adelaide over the past 45 days.
Source: FUELtrac
Information on the past five price cycles in Adelaide is shown below:
First day of the cycle (low price) | No. of days to highest price in the cycle | Date of highest price in the cycle | Days to next cycle (next low price) | Total days in cycle |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wed 12 Jan 22 | 8 | Thu 20 Jan 22 | 11 | 19 |
Mon 31 Jan 22 | 5 | Sat 05 Feb 22 | 11 | 16 |
Wed 16 Feb 22 | 10 | Sat 26 Feb 22 | 9 | 19 |
Mon 07 Mar 22 | 5 | Sat 12 Mar 22 | 31 | 36 |
Tue 12 Apr 22 | 11 | Sat 23 Apr 22 | 10 | 21 |
Petrol prices in Perth
Buying tip (updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday):
- prices appear to be around the lowest point of the cycle
- now is a good time for motorists to buy petrol.
The chart below shows average daily regular unleaded petrol prices in Perth over the past 45 days.
Source: FUELtrac
Information on the past five price cycles in Perth is shown below:
First day of cycle (low price) |
No. of days to highest price in the cycle |
Date of highest price in the cycle |
Days to next cycle (next low price) |
Total days in cycle |
Tue 22 Feb 22 | 1 | Wed 23 Feb 22 | 13 | 14 |
Tue 08 Mar 22 | 2 | Thu 10 Mar 22 | 12 | 14 |
Tue 22 Mar 22 | 1 | Wed 23 Mar 22 | 13 | 14 |
Tue 05 Apr 22 | 1 | Wed 06 Apr 22 | 13 | 14 |
Tue 19 Apr 22 | 1 | Wed 20 Apr 22 | 13 | 14 |