In May 2017, an astonishing $614m of Kiwi’s card spending was on fuel so it’s no surprise that in a Canstar Blue survey
of 2,253 people, 51% admitted to actively monitoring fuel prices.
Canstar Blue spokesperson Emma Quantrill said:
“Even with the recent drop in prices, fuel costs can vary hugely within a relatively small geographical area, so it’s
easy to see why people think it’s worth keeping an eye on prices. We found that nationally, there was a huge 65 cents
per litre[1] difference in the highest and lowest prices on 91 Octane and while most of us understand shipping costs will be higher
to more remote areas, the variation in local prices is more difficult to understand.”
Cost or convenience?
The Canstar Blue survey also revealed that although 75% of people were prepared to travel further to take advantage of
cheaper fuel costs, the majority (48%) liked to stick within a 5km radius. However, Canstar Blue found that this could
still make a huge difference to the price paid at the pump.
Travelling no more than five km from Auckland CBD, prices varied by 16 cents per litre on 91 Octane. In Wellington, the
same exercise revealed price differences of six cents.
Quantrill continued:
“Fuel costs are a real concern for drivers. According to our survey, the majority of people are spending up to $249 per
month on fuel so savings of a few cents a litre can make a real difference to people’s pockets. We also found that
supermarket discount tickets or loyalty cards heavily influenced where fuel was bought as people looked at additional
ways to try to keep costs down when they fill up.”
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Fuel Market Financial Performance Study, commissioned in February 2017, is expected to report back soon.
Satisfied customers
To find out which was the service station brand delivering the best overall customer satisfaction, we asked 2,253
consumers who had refuelled their motor vehicle at a service station in the last month, to rate their experience.
The Canstar Blue Award for Overall Customer Satisfaction for 2017 goes to Kiwi brand Challenge.
ENDS