Tuesday petrol bargain myth fades as SBS points drivers to live price checks

Tuesday is not a universal bargain day

SBS News said the long-running idea that Tuesday is the cheapest day to fill up does not hold across Australia. In the report published on 24 September 2026, NRMA head of media Peter Khoury said Perth was the only Australian city still on a seven-day petrol price cycle. He said Tuesday might still be the cheapest day in Perth and Wednesday the most expensive, but that there was no particular cheap day elsewhere, so drivers needed to check prices before filling up. ¹²

Why prices are moving higher

The SBS report linked the latest increase in petrol costs to rising tensions in the Middle East, oil price shocks and the fuel excise returning to full payment after an April cut ended on 3 August. It said Brent crude moved above US$100 a barrel on Monday, while NRMA weekly fuel reporting put Sydney’s average unleaded price at 237.8 cents a litre and expected it to rise to at least 240 cents a litre over the following week. The same report said Sydney’s average diesel price was 286.1 cents a litre. ¹²

How motorists can compare prices

SBS News said each state and territory government receives and publishes real-time fuel price data, and that some apps make it easier to use. The story listed Petrol Spy, Fuel Map, My NRMA, MotorMouth and Vroom Fuel Price Compare among the tools drivers can use, alongside government systems such as NSW Fuel Check, MyFuel NT, FuelCheck TAS, RAA SA, ServoSaver via Service Victoria and WA FuelWatch. It also said some services combine official data with GPS directions or crowdsourced updates, depending on the state. ¹²

Khoury said the gap between petrol stations can be large, sometimes 20 to 30 cents per litre in the same neighbourhood. He also said there were several service stations charging over $3 a litre for diesel, while the average remained below that level at $2.94, underscoring the value of checking before buying. ¹²

What the cycle means in practice

The SBS report said the safest general approach is to shop around rather than rely on a fixed weekday. Khoury said drivers should plot their journey, because cheaper servos and cheaper towns may be on the route or near a holiday destination. The report said the best savings come from checking prices before refuelling, rather than assuming the same day or station will remain cheapest. ¹²