Fuel up at Shell or BP?

[dajop]

That's the problem. Where I am, Shell is consistently 4-12c/L more than the independent servo.

Often rent cars in Melbourne. Always fill up enroute back to airport via Keilor Park Drive and every time in last six months BP has been 8-15c cheaper than Shell despite being <1km away on same side of the road. Don't understand it at all.

 

[Vic]

That's the problem. Where I am, Shell is consistently 4-12c/L more than the independent servo. Today I bought Diesel at 1.35/L. Same suburb, BP is $1.45 and Shell $1.49.
Your 4c voucher often just brings the Shell price down to even with other servos. And 10c/L difference is a lot to pay for a few points.

Thats a different issue, I was comparing the cost of getting airline points. The independent isn't going to earn airline points.

 

[andye]

As noted you can choose to earn 8 Flybuys rather than 4c off at Shell by changing your account settings.
How you value a VF point will affect this choice
Useful if you're not paying full price for your fuel whether leasing, tax deducting or straight-out reimbursed

Ps: If prices are equal and you don't have to collect VF points my winner is a Woolworths Caltex with a discounted WISH card bought with an Edge....unless someone has an offer on

 

[Kremmen]

This backs up my findings, particularly on premium fuels. I run 98 in my car and for that fuel (which isn't usually advertised on the sign) I have seen Coles as much as 19 cents per liter more expensive than my local BP!

I feel that Coles Express offers these big discounts to drive traffic but just compensates with their base pricing.

This is the thing I bet a lot of people miss. Shell/Coles Express totally gouges on premium fuels.

BP charges 8-10c more (depending on outlet; for each one, it's consistent) on U95 over U91. Shell adds 17c for U95 over U91. Near me, the U91 price for BP and Shell that's up in massive lights that everyone notices is usually almost identical. That means that if I buy U95 from Shell, it actually costs 9c more than BP. That completely wipes out any value of any points or discounts from Shell.

 

[CPMaverick]

Thats a different issue, I was comparing the cost of getting airline points. The independent isn't going to earn airline points.

The fact that BP is 4c cheaper than Coles (in his example) is totally relevant. They both earn points.

 

[Legoman]

Simple answer for a simple question: Don't ever make any fuel purchasing decision based on the number of points you might get. Always make the purchasing decision based purely on price. Brands of fuel are meaningless. It's all the same stuff just coming out of different coloured bowsers. The points are worth next to nothing compared to the real saving in real money by choosing the cheaper priced one. The decision is always incredibly easy and obvious. I have never had the experience that one brand service station is exactly the same price as another after all shop-a-docket discount systems have been taken in account. There is always a clear cut cheapest servo which makes the decision easy. If you get points or not at that particular brand station is irrelevent. If you do, then bonus, if you don't then too bad, but you're still better off going with the cheapest one regardless.

Bugger