Unstaffed petrol stations offer motorists genuine savings, watchdog says

A petrol price survey suggests doing it yourself - at unstaffed stations - can have a broader impact on local prices. Photo / Jason Oxenham

No staff but cheaper gas?

The Commerce Commission says unstaffed petrol stations offer genuine savings for Kiwi motorists.

Commissioner Bryan Chapple said new fuel monitoring data showed areas containing at least one unstaffed fuel station within a five-minute drive had prices on average 6 cents per litre lower than areas without unstaffed stations.

But there’s a catch, the ComCom says. Unstaffed stations run by supermarkets don’t have the same effect on competition.

”Our findings reinforce that unstaffed stations are definitely the way to go for cheaper fuel and anyone who has had one open in their area has probably experienced lower prices,” Chapple said.

New Zealanders spent about $10 billion at the fuel pump every year, so even a small price saving could make an appreciable difference, he said.

The commission also said local councils should think about the competition benefits of unstaffed sites.

Councils could do this during planning processes and when considering consent applications, he said.

Such pricing pressure, and smart decision-making from motorists, created incentives for staffed sites in the neighbourhood to reduce their prices, Chapple said.

”Ultimately, we see consumers benefiting from an increased number of unstaffed fuel sites, while they also have the option of staffed fuel sites with a wider range of services and retail products if that’s what they need.”

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton called for an inquiry into petrol price inequity in May last year.

And the commission said it wrote to fuel companies in September last year, asking for further information to help account for “pricing anomalies” in the fuel market.

The watchdog today said it still wanted some answers.

“Information disclosed to the commission by major fuel companies on fuel terminal, trucking, and retail site costs only explains some of the fuel price variation seen across the country.”

The ComCom said it also used data from fuel pricing app Gaspy to get a steer on local prices.

Chapple said over time, he expected the opening of more unstaffed sites would prompt fuel companies to drop prices further.