New Fuel Watch Website - Petrol Buddy

AssociatedLcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 14:50
Last edited 12/07/2020 - 09:12

Hi Guys,

In my free time I have put together a new site called Petrol Buddy.

It's a free fuel finder, similar to petrol spy and others, but with the advantage of being not incredibly ugly to look at ;)

Data is sourced from public APIs and the site is fully mobile responsive.
Let me know if you have any suggestions or recommendations to make it better!

Since it's not a paid service, it still does have a few missing features that I will be adding going into the future, and also since I am working full time it is hard to find enough time to really flesh out some features and improve performance, but it is definitely coming along :)

If you feel like staying up to date with new features as I put them in, you can have a look at https://www.facebook.com/petrolbuddyaus

Note: My server costs are getting a little pricey (> 20-30 a month) so I am experimenting with a small number of google ads on the page. I want them to not be intrusive, and if you have an adblocker, the app works totally fine.

Cheers

Changelog:
Added bookmarkable searches, you can now save your favourite search to your bookmarks and it will load automatically the next time you visit the page.
Added weekly competitions to win fuel vouchers.
Updated map provider for faster page loads.

Automotive

Related Stores

petrolbuddy.net.au
petrolbuddy.net.au

Comments

  • SnowDragon on 19/06/2020 - 15:00

    Looks good. Surprised it picked up servos in my area.

    Too bad I need to travel 5km in the opposite direction to save 10c a litre.

    • pegaxs on 19/06/2020 - 15:11
      +6

      It might just be worth it…
      Would take about 1 litre of fuel to get there and back.
      10c on 50 litre fill up is a saving of $5.
      Fuel is about $1.25/litre.
      $5 - $1.25
      Still $3.75 in front :D

      • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:15
        +9

        Coincidentally, I have been looking into how best to show this on the site.
        There's cheapest, closest, and the one I want to add 'best'.
        Best would be, answering the question 'What is the cheapest petrol closest to me that is most fuel efficient to get to?'
        It's a little tricky, since it depends on car type but I think I could probably get a rough estimate

        • skid on 19/06/2020 - 15:30
          +3

          They'd be a fun addition. It'd depend entirely on the car mileage. Maybe you could add a field where the L/100km could be entered.

        • Cliche Guevara on 19/06/2020 - 16:29

          This might be useful info.

      • SnowDragon on 19/06/2020 - 15:16
        +7

        Sorry, I forgot where I was posting :)

      • dasher86 on 19/06/2020 - 15:26

        -(minus) time.

        • pegaxs on 19/06/2020 - 15:34

          -(minus) wear and tear on the engine/tyres/gearbox/diff gears/bearings/seats/floor mats.
          -(minus) vehicle depreciation in that time
          -(minus) insurance and registration costs
          -(minus) consumables
          -(minus) fees and charges

          It's 5km, not 500…

          • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:41
            +8

            @pegaxs: I should just build a full on car simulation, and calculate it ;)

            • pegaxs on 19/06/2020 - 15:47
              +2

              @carlossantana: It's ok, it happens. I make excel spreadsheets from time to time to help people with vehicle related costs, and there is always that inevitable;

              "but what about the tyre circumference wear reduction per km of driving… and can you make it adjust with ambient air temperature and humidity at the time the tyre was last inflated… and does this allow for days that are windy and does it include allowances for head vs tail winds… Also, have you added…"

              No, no I haven't…

  • Bargain80 on 19/06/2020 - 15:02
    +1

    well it looks more modern than petrolspy.

    Just few suggestion:
    - The map doesn't show the logo or what the petrol station is. For me this is important as I have fuel discount from Woolies and Puma so it's one of important factor.
    - the list doesn't refresh when I zoom out or move the location on the map. I like petrol spy as the map shows the updated list as I move the map around. It's not always convenient to search by post code or suburb.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:04

      Hi!
      Good feedback. If you click on a result, it will show you what station chain it belongs to. I have been experimenting with brands as part of the marker and may bring them back if people like it.

      Your second point is a really big one, and is quite a technical challenge to solve, but it is definitely on my list of features to do next :) I want it too!

      • Bargain80 on 19/06/2020 - 15:06

        yes I notice that but it's annoying having to click each one.
        With Petrol station I can get a quick overview which station and the price without having to click one by one.
        I know there is a list in the middle but it takes more time for the brain to process.

        • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 20/07/2020 - 09:29

          This has now been added as a feature :)

          • Bargain80 on 20/07/2020 - 14:16

            @carlossantana: looks better now.
            but are you sure the price is correct?
            they are more than 20c higher than the ones shown in PetrolSpy?

  • chrisie on 19/06/2020 - 15:03

    Looks nice and quick if only it could keep a default location it would be better.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:05
      +1

      Great suggestion.
      A feature on my roadmap is that your search parameters and location are stored in the url, so you can just bookmark it and view it every time :)

      • Bargain80 on 19/06/2020 - 15:10

        yep either that or store in URL.
        I'm working with company VPN so My Location is always pointing to the wrong city.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 29/06/2020 - 15:06

      I've added a new feature which allows your last search to be bookmarked. Let me know how it goes and see if it works for you :)

  • CodeXD on 19/06/2020 - 15:09
    +1

    For some reason, all your ACT suburbs are listed under NSW

    Even if you search Canberra

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:12
      +2

      :'(
      You would not believe how hard it is to find accurate postcode/suburb info in Australia. That should be a quick fix. Thanks for spotting it!

  • pegaxs on 19/06/2020 - 15:15

    Nice work, and well done. It's a lot of work to offer it for free. I do like the layout and its pretty easy to use. Much nicer than the government version…

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:17
      +1

      Thanks pegaxs!
      This is my COVID project that kept myself sane (and made the gf a little less sane!).
      I was just so fed up with having to juggle different apps that never answered the question 'Where is the cheapest fuel near me?'
      So I built it :)

  • nascar77 on 19/06/2020 - 15:20

    great work, just found 95 at 99.9 cents way cheaper than any 7eleven and close by
    any plans for an Android App

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:40

      I do have plans down the road for an app :) Although that area is much more crowded and hard for people to change from what they already have. Stay tuned :)

    • nascar77 on 19/06/2020 - 18:03

      just went to the BP gas station in syndal Vic(BP TALLY HO). Price is different compared to the website. website shows 99.9 cents for U95 actual was higher. U91 was 122.9. website shows 122.9. something not right

  • barozgain on 19/06/2020 - 15:24
    +1

    well done OP

  • dasher86 on 19/06/2020 - 15:28
    +1

    well done OP.

  • mr-incredulous on 19/06/2020 - 15:32

    Looks nice. Out of curiosity what's the source for SA prices? It's not listed on the page.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:39
      +1

      Most states have mandatory data reporting for fuel services. For states like SA, Vic, and Tas, I am scraping data from a bunch of different sources and aggregating them. Good news for SA though, since the state govt has announced mandatory fuel pricing along with a similar scheme in tassie.

  • cashless on 19/06/2020 - 15:33

    It's a free fuel finder

    Am wishing for free fuel

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 15:41
      +2

      Damn you oxford comma!
      Free, fuel finder

  • newak on 19/06/2020 - 15:49

    Well done OP. This is a great start!

  • quog on 19/06/2020 - 16:08

    Multi thumbs up, it is easy to look at and quick to load which is vital for user engagement.

    I like the fuel price spread for the postcode that is interesting to see - 16.5c for me, maybe that with a radius of defined selectable amounts like 5km, 10km, 25km and showing that radius as an option.

  • Jimmycfc on 19/06/2020 - 16:08

    Looks good mate, well done :D

  • sss333 on 19/06/2020 - 16:34

    All ACT suburbs being listed as NSW in the suburb or postcode box is weird and missing some Canberra petrol stations is disappointing but otherwise good job.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 16:48
      +1

      Thanks for letting me know. Will fix that up :)

  • MrHyde on 19/06/2020 - 16:36

    Looks really good - well done.

    The 7-11 in South Melbourne is missing - not sure why.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 16:39

      It's got ten thousand fuel stations, I'm not surprised i've missed one or two ;)

  • pernunz on 19/06/2020 - 16:39

    Excellent looking site. Love it!

  • Banana on 19/06/2020 - 16:50

    Looks modern, very nice!

    Is it possible to add some sort of visualisations to indicate whether the fuel price is going up or down?

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 19/06/2020 - 16:53

      Great suggestion. Currently the prices are just live when you view them, but I am hoping to build out a price trend graph for every suburb on a weekly basis.

  • leznix on 19/06/2020 - 21:31

    Very nice, good work and thank you.

  • specks on 19/06/2020 - 22:37
    +1

    Not sure if its in the works, but sort by brand would be good.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 20/07/2020 - 09:29

      This has now been added as a feature :)

  • jetblack on 20/06/2020 - 08:41

    I know your app isn't for route mapping, but I've always wanted a feature that says 'find me the cheapest fuel within x distance anywhere along my route'.

    I'd find that way more useful than cheapest petrol from a given point, because there's like a 60-70% chance you'd need to drive in the opposite direction (or at least out of the way) from where you're going.

  • bongom on 20/06/2020 - 10:07

    If I block "allow location services" the map is blocked by a red logo?
    Using Waterfox 56.2.9 Release on desktop pc with no add-ons. Same result using Firefox but with an older version.
    Works correctly using Chrome when location is blocked.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 20/06/2020 - 10:25

      Hi there, that's a strange one. Can you pm me a screenshot at all? That might help me debug the issue.

    • LFO on 20/06/2020 - 12:38

      Similar issues here.

      Map is covered by a logo of some kind.
      Using Firefox on desktop.

      PS: At the bottom of such logo it reads: Enable location services

      • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 18/07/2020 - 13:48

        I believe this should be fixed now? Have you encountered this again?

  • jonkvh on 20/06/2020 - 11:12

    Thats excellent! Have Petrol Spy installed as an app(Edge Chromium) but will replace it with you site. Thanks for doing the Best feature, saves a lot of messing about.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 20/06/2020 - 11:17
      +1

      Wow thank you so much for the kind feedback :)
      I've created a facebook page where you can stay up to date with new features if you feel like checking there from time to time as well.

      https://www.facebook.com/petrolbuddyaus

  • OzHunterNSW on 20/06/2020 - 12:07

    Cost half a tank to get to the servo

  • LFO on 20/06/2020 - 13:05

    Let me know if you have any suggestions or recommendations to make it better!

    First of all: great contribution. THANK YOU INDEED!

    One (strange) suggestion:
    To sort or list by fuel provider. We usually get lots and lots of multiple docket discount for Shell so it will be "nice" to get all Shell providers first on the list.
    Thank you

  • Member 0230 on 20/06/2020 - 13:38

    Great service. Before this I was using RACV Petrol https://www.racv.com.au/on-the-road/driving-maintenance/fuel…

    A plus of using the RACV service is the fuel trend — it gives you a sense of timing, so if you're low on petrol but not desperate, you know that refuelling next week will save you lots more money.

  • Yesterday on 20/06/2020 - 16:16

    Thanks for going to the trouble of doing this.

    A heads up: it gives Caltex Sylvania Heights (NSW) as my cheapest by far, but that station permanently closed a few weeks ago.

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 20/06/2020 - 17:16

      Thanks for letting me know. I reckon this is the data being out of date for some reason. I will go ahead and remove this from the database.

  • Spending2Much on 20/06/2020 - 18:41

    How is it updated
    I used FUELMAP and checked prices and the time it was updated…but driving past, prices were different. (Cheaper)

  • conman123 on 20/06/2020 - 19:04

    Just spend about 10 minutes writing a bug report for you that certain servos disappear when you increase the distance, only to realise there is a 'load more' option at the bottom of the results list…
    Maybe add a "load all results" button on the map? Otherwise it's very confusing seeing a servo you know is there disappear.

    • conman123 on 20/06/2020 - 20:39

      Just spent* about 10 minutes

  • badg3rz on 20/06/2020 - 20:43

    My parents have a new Toyota car. Using the Toyota app they get up to 10c off the current fuel per litre (don't know what fuel station it is, plus the discount varies a bit).
    It would be nice if you could put in if they are members of any clubs or makes etc. to show up if it's cheaper going to one fuel station over another.
    Maybe it's just to hard.

  • golfer dad on 20/06/2020 - 20:58

    Great job. Will make it easier for me to compare my local Woolies vs Coles petrol station

  • LFO on 20/06/2020 - 21:01

    An interesting bug just now.

    Shell Miami is reported as "BEST" at 99.9c (average 127.9c!!) … however MotorMouth indicates for that Shell petrol station as "Price unavailable".

    I'll say wrongly defaults to 99.9 when no data is available.

    Cheers

  • CC123 on 20/06/2020 - 21:53

    Nice job!
    Tested it on my phone too, no issues from my small testing

  • ECE on 20/06/2020 - 22:22

    Thanks mothermole1 😊

  • ozblogger on 21/06/2020 - 04:45

    Good clean design, and responsive site

    If possible, please show last updated timetamp for each price. Will give us some idea of how accurate it is. 7/11 in my area are out of date and not accurate at all. Not sure which source you are using for 7/11 in VIC

  • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 28/06/2020 - 21:18

    EDIT:

    The site is now back up again, with all locations back online :)

    Keeps those bug reports rolling in :)

    My next big feature to release is search saving/bookmarking which quite a few of you have asked for, so stay tuned for that this week.

  • Euphemistic on 29/06/2020 - 06:04

    I use the Nsw Gov version. It works just as well as yours that I can see in 20sec of review. The problem I find with that one is that when searching for diesel you need to search for premium diesel and standard diesel separately. This is OK but if you want the closest diesel you need to do two searches to find all the stations around.

    Displaying all diesel on one search would help. I don’t see any difference in premium vs standard diesel.

    With your site choosing diesel seems to only show those stations with standard and omits any that only have ‘premium’

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 29/06/2020 - 08:34

      Hi Euphemistic.
      Thanks for your feedback. Sadly due to the way different governments report prices, premium diesel and regular diesel are reported in different ways.
      I can see that the NSW gov does report premium diesel, so I will add an option to include that in NSW :)

      • Euphemistic on 29/06/2020 - 09:33

        Cool. It’s a bit frustrating. There is probably some form of regulation around what is premium diesel, but it’s probably more like just a marketing thing.

        Edit: the fuel is essentially the same, conforms to the same regulation but so called premium products add what they call anti-foaming or engine cleaning additives. There is no difference to performance or economy.

        • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 29/06/2020 - 10:30

          Well the more you know.. In your experience, would you buy premium vs regular consciously? Or would you just travel to what is cheapest?

          • Euphemistic on 29/06/2020 - 11:44

            @carlossantana: I tend to look for the cheapest which is why the app is frustrating. Often 7-11 has the cheapest around but is listed as premium. My usual sells regular so if I’m not passing by there i need to do two searches.

            I buy cheapest even if it means buying ‘truck diesel’ which is available in some country areas. It’s the same fuel, but comes from a larger nozzle and the pump is usually covered in diesel so it’s messier.

  • G-Bard on 29/06/2020 - 09:39

    Looks great, just feedback that the highest and lowest seems to have swap labels

    • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 01/07/2020 - 14:20

      Thanks for the report, I will update this now :)

  • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 03/07/2020 - 15:43
    +2

    I've added weekly competitions to win fuel vouchers/sign up. I have access to some pretty heavily discounted vouchers, so I am thinking about ways to encourage user adoption. Feel free to sign up and go into the draw :)

  • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 12/07/2020 - 09:13
    +1

    Updated map provider to increase page load speed, let me know if you like this version of the map better :)

  • Associatedcarlossantana @ petrolbuddy.net.au on 21/07/2020 - 12:35

    I've added filter by brand as a feature, so now you can drill down into 16 different fuel brands with your searches!

    • dsp26 on 24/07/2020 - 16:14

      Hi i'm trying to get in touch but can't send you a direct message. I are you able to message me please, looking to see if you are available for an opportunity :)

  • jonkvh on 22/02/2021 - 17:24

    Damn! Was good while it lasted.

  • SanAndreas23 on 28/07/2021 - 15:20

    Cool thanks. FuelWatch is down atm :p

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