Would love to know the reasoning if you have a favourite one!
Which Petrol Company Do You Fuel up with?
pingualien on 20/04/2018 - 14:30
Last edited 20/04/2018 - 14:47 by 1 other user
Last edited 20/04/2018 - 14:47 by 1 other user
Poll Options
- 48Shell
- 173BP
- 15United
- 89Caltex
- 1177-Eleven
- 480Whatever is cheapest
- 35Other
Comments
I used to use Caltex 95 consistently in my '94 Honda and would generally get about 300-320km out of a tank (old car)
I switched to BP 91 and consistently got 340-380km out a tank and have always bought BP since.
Also considering that BP can often be cheaper than other brands, plus Velocity points makes it a no brainer.
I also did an experiment where I ran 95 for months then 98 for months in my newer car. The 98 got me slightly further, but approximately the same cost per KM. I stuck with 98.
Having worked in a refinery and terminals I can tell you BP, Mobil and Caltex all come out of the same tanks in VIC. They add different additives though when they fill the trucks.
Caltex(woolworths), get better fuel economy from their diesel over the shell in my area.
I haven't used BP enough to get a good comparison.You don't have Metro, but they're ALWAYS the cheapest so I generally fill up their because nobody else beats them.
There is a fuel check app from NSW government where you can see the price trends. The pattern is very consistent if you look at the graph. The app can also predict when the price will be up or down
Costco or BP.
Having lived in the bush, I can say that not all fuel stations are the same. There are ones that take care of their tanks, and the ones that don't. Sure the fuel comes from the same refinery, but it's easy for the fuel to be contaminated with water (or crap) - especially after a heavy rain.
I work in the fuel retail industry for a service provider that does work on all the majors sites. I see examples of the various fuels people are talking about and can provide some general commentary without going into too much detail for obvious reasons.
Although some fuel comes from the same terminals, you also have to think about the condition and age of the storage tanks they pump the fuel into at fuel stations which can change the fuel quality. Fuel quality can be affected by water, sediments, rust particulates, microbial growth, etc which can accumulate in the storage tanks over time. There is a massive difference in preventative maintenance practices between the majors which can increase the possibility of vehicle breakdowns due to water in the fuel which is the major one.
Tanks are made from steel which is an older design and commonly today, fibreglass. Older steel tanks will corrode over time which can leave sediments and particulates settled in the bottom of the tanks which if stirred up can be problematic. As a rule, if I need to fill up and I see a tanker delivering fuel at a petrol station I will keep driving because a fuel drop will stir up any contaminants which can be bad for your car.
I typically only use Woolworths and BP fuels. If I'm desperate then I'll fill up with Shell and Caltex in that order. United, any small retailer and old sites i keep away from. I've never used 7/11 but would probably put them next to Caltex and before United in preference.
I highly recommend keeping receipts of every fuel transaction until your next fill. You never know when you might need evidence that you filled up a specific fuel, from a specific pump at a specific time.
Is woolworths fuel just Caltex?
Yes their fuel is supplied by Caltex and that is where it stops.
Woolworths stations are mostly newer sites with fibreglass tanks which is something I consider important.
There are also other branded sites that simply supply fuel only. Jasbe Petroleum and AA Holdings are another two similar examples in VIC and NSW where BP supplies fuel to their stations, they use BP branding, but maintenance and operations are not managed by BP.
I use whatever is cheapest for my old diesel Landcruiser..
But .. I always add my own favourite diesel additive (Currently Diesel power) to keep injectors clean etc.
Dig a hole and put in a tank and fill it with petrol, today and use for the next year. Petrol prices always increase at a steady rate.
Ive saved millions that way.
7/11 purely for pricelock and the price is usually good and the locations suit me best.
Tend to avoid United as a fair few have been busted for watering down fuel, don't want to risk it.
Usually BP - simply because they're at the end of my street vs other options that are a few KMs away.
The BP I go to is often cheaper than Caltex or shell and almost always the last ones to raise their prices up (ie on Saturday they were over 20c cheaper!)
Otherwise, if I'm not at home and I need to fill up, Ill stop at whichever servo is on my way. I might drive past a couple, get an idea of current price and then fill up at the next servo.
I fill up with 91, 95 or 98 Ron depending on which car/bike I'm driving at the time
7/11 seems to be the cheapest price lock or not.
BP due to staff discount
BP - it feels the smoothest on cars I've owned in the past ('07 Civic, '04 Skyline, '00 Commodore) - keyword is FEEL, and it also seems to be cheaper than Shell, and you get double Virgin points.
A friend of mine feels Shell 98 runs better on his '02 Integra than BP 98.
BP Ultimate. Don't ever check the price, I fill up approximately once a month when the car needs fuel, I use BP for the velocity points.
BP mainly because of Velocity.
I always fill up when the price is cheap (which lately seems to be around $1.29), even if my tank is nearly full. Doing that allows me to not need to fill up when it's more expensive (eg. $1.50).
United for E85
Caltex for 98, used to fill up with BP, but have found that Caltex is better now.
I might be wrong but I try to choose Shell or Mobil (or BP) as I think their fuel is of higher quality and safer without adulterants. I generally try to avoid the less known brands of fuel. But as I said, all of these might be the same after all.
I fill up whenever I get to about 1/4 of a tank and have time to fill up.
I fill up at big brands and always 98 Octane. I don't fill up at Yum Cha /unbranded stations.
I'm quite surprised no one in WA/QLD/NT have mentioned Puma? They pretty much sell the identical product of BP's ultimate diesel and premium ULPs and generally at a better price…well, most areas I've been anyway. There's exceptions of course
Metro Petrol, almost 15% cheaper on average.
I occasionally check 7/11 fuel app, then go to a station in that area. My area Im spoilt for choice though, with pretty much a fuel station every block, I usually go to 1 of 2 which I know are cheapest most of the time.
I tend to keep cars 100% full when petrol seems cheaper, that way if it jumps up 20cents, I can wait it out till it drops again.All I know is the couple of times I've filled up at Caltex (regular unleaded, not e10), my car ran so inefficiently that it wasn't worth the extra 2c saving compared to Shell at the time. I get excellent efficiency with Shell, or United, or Liberty.
The most recent time was after a full mechanical service and a transmission service. The first two tanks of fuel after that was from Shell, excellent efficiency, got an extra 50km from my tank both times. The third tank was Caltex, and I lost 100km of efficiency from that tank (and my driving habits were pretty much the same, to and from work each day, against traffic).
Caltex can bite me. Never again.
United because the fuel runs really well in my performance car (98 RON) and it's Australian.
If no United, then BP (also for the fuel, the car wash machines and Velocity points).
Costco
Costco
I found that my cars always seem to run a tiny but rough when running shell regular and/or premium. But they run smoother with mobile or BP. I doubt this would have any affect on the life or power of the engine, but its just an observation. When I had a carbureted sports bike (which was high power and quite finicky) it would only run well on BP. Having said that my newest car needs 95 octane so I just buy the cheapest e10 I can find and let the ECU figure out the timming.
BP 98, firstly my car says "98 RON only" which limits my local options. Secondly, I live next to a BP servo and finally, the other BP that I frequent has an automatic/electronic air pump which is great, set to 36 psi and forget.
7-Eleven fuel lock, one of the stations I can access the price for is often close to the cheapest in NSW!
7/11 in Hampton Park, for 1c / litre
I use to fill up with BP and thought they were a good company until I stumbled across this article.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bp-claims-an-oil-spi…
Never pumping with BP again.711 and fill up with 98. Cant believe so many people go to BP theyre consistently the most expensive around in brisbane.
My local 7 Eleven refused to provide me fuel the other day as I was unable to tell them how much fuel I needed BEFORE filling up. This was even after offering them my credit card to hold. Was the craziest conversation I've had in years, since when can we predict how much fuel it will take to fill our cars? I don't buy there anymore, plus its usually the same price as others who are more than happy to let me pay after filling up.