Recommended Free Tools
To compare gas prices and find cheaper fuel nearby, first filter for the fuel type and grade your vehicle uses, then check when each price was last updated and where the figure came from. Only after that does the lowest number mean anything. The saving also has to survive the extra driving a detour requires, so the final test is a short calculation rather than a glance at the map.
This guide uses “gas” for US drivers, “petrol” for UK drivers and “fuel” for Australian drivers, matching how official and app sources in each region describe the product. The tools differ by country, so the regional sections below are kept separate.
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Choose the fuel type and grade your vehicle needs
Most price-comparison services list several fuel types and grades at each station, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) makes the point that the useful comparison is for the fuel your vehicle needs, not simply the lowest figure on screen. Check the required fuel in your owner’s manual, which often also appears on a label inside the fuel filler flap. If the manual sets a minimum octane rating, do not search below it to chase a lower number. The ACCC’s guide to making the most of fuel apps and websites is the reference for this step.
- United States: regular, mid-grade and premium gasoline, plus diesel for vehicles that use it. Set the exact grade in the app’s filter before sorting by price.
- United Kingdom: petrol and diesel, with several grades often shown at the same forecourt. Choose the one your manual specifies.
- Australia: fuel is listed by octane rating and diesel. Pick the rating your manufacturer specifies.
A diesel car searching for petrol, or a premium-only engine set to a regular grade, produces a price comparison that is useless in practice. Fix the grade first, every time.
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Confirm when each price was last updated
A price that is days old can be worse than no price at all. Each source handles timing differently, so read the timestamp before you trust the ranking.
UK: Fuel Finder timestamps
The most explicit timing rule in the official material comes from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, whose Fuel Finder API and data-access guidance was published on 2 February 2026. It says: “Prices are published within 30 minutes of any change.” The same guidance says each price and site carries an update timestamp, and that the downloadable CSV is updated twice daily. Most drivers will never touch that file, because the guidance says they can use participating third-party apps and websites instead. What matters is whether the app you use shows the timestamp against the station you are considering.
Government-run services in Australia
The ACCC describes the four government-run services as having comprehensive and regularly updated prices. The guide does not state a fixed refresh interval for them, so read the update time shown for each station rather than assuming a schedule.
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User-reported prices
The current GasBuddy listing on Google Play, updated 3 September 2026, says the app accepts user price reports and that its prices come from users. That gives breadth, but an entry is only as fresh as the person who reported it. If an entry shows an old time, treat the price as a lead to verify at the pump.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Source model | Examples named in sources | Timing information | What to check before detouring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government feed (UK) | Fuel Finder data, distributed through participating apps and websites | Timestamp on each price; published within 30 minutes of a change (GOV.UK, 2 February 2026) | That the station you are viewing shows its own update time |
| Government-run (Australia) | FuelWatch, FuelCheck, MyFuel NT, FuelCheck TAS | Described as regularly updated; refresh interval not stated (ACCC, 2024) | The update time on each station, where the service displays it |
| User-reported (US, Canada, Australia) | GasBuddy | Depends on when a user reported the price (Google Play listing, 3 September 2026) | Whether the entry’s time is recent enough to trust |
| Commercial and navigation apps | MotorMouth, PetrolSpy, Waze, Google Maps | Data model and refresh timing not stated for each provider in the ACCC guide | Whether the app displays a timestamp and where its prices come from |
Find services that cover your area
Coverage is regional, and no single app should be treated as the default everywhere. Start with the official service for your state or country where one exists, then add a commercial or navigation tool if it covers the stations you actually pass.
United Kingdom
On 31 March 2026 the government named seven services then displaying Fuel Finder data: Confused.com, DriveScore, Fuel Finder UK, Fuel Spy, MotorMouth, PetrolPrices.com and RAC Fuel Watch. The government’s Fuel Finder factsheet said around 90% of UK petrol stations had signed up at that date. That is a dated snapshot. A station that has not yet joined will not appear, and the list of services may change, so check the government announcement or the service itself for the current picture.
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves framed the scheme this way in the same announcement: “Tackling the cost of living is this government’s number one priority, which is why we launched Fuel Finder to force all petrol stations to share their prices.” The government estimates that Fuel Finder “could save households who own a car an average of £40 a year.” That is an estimate of potential average savings for car-owning households, not a measured or guaranteed saving for any individual driver.
Australia
The ACCC’s guide names four government-run services: FuelWatch (Western Australia), FuelCheck (New South Wales and ACT), MyFuel NT (Northern Territory) and FuelCheck TAS (Tasmania). It also lists motoring-group services, commercial services including MotorMouth and PetrolSpy, and navigation apps including Waze and Google Maps. Its market search covered the first six months of 2024 and counted more than 40 free-to-use fuel-price apps and websites in that window. That is an Australian count for that period, not a current total.
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The ACCC also cites the Australian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association’s 2022 National Monitor of Fuel Consumer Attitudes. It reports that around 44% of motorists said they used a fuel-price app or website in 2022, compared with 28% in 2019 and 19% in 2017. These are survey-based self-reports from Australian motorists.
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Queensland is not among the four government-run services. Queensland Treasury instead publishes a list of apps and websites signed up to receive price data under its scheme, and states that the government does not endorse those providers. The Queensland Treasury list, last updated 16 July 2026, includes MotorMouth, Petrol Spy, RACQ Fuel and Deals and Vroom Fuel Price Compare, among others.
United States and Canada
The GasBuddy listing says the app searches by distance or price, accepts user price reports and provides gas prices in the United States, Canada and Australia. Because the prices depend on those reports, compare the timestamp before you commit to a detour. The sources behind this guide do not establish an official government price feed for US states. If you want one for your state, check your state’s consumer protection or energy agency rather than assuming it exists.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Calculate whether the cheaper station is worth the detour
A station being cheaper is not the same as a trip being worth it. The test is whether the saving on the litres or gallons you buy there exceeds the fuel and time spent getting there. Use the same method in any country:
Best Value
- Calculate fuel economy
- Convert fuel economy
- Work out the price difference per litre or per gallon, using prices whose timestamps you have checked.
- Multiply that difference by the volume you expect to buy at the cheaper station. This is the gross saving.
- Estimate the extra distance the whole trip adds, including any return leg to your route, and multiply it by your car’s fuel consumption. Multiply the result by the price you would pay for that fuel. This is the detour cost.
- Subtract the detour cost from the gross saving. A negative result means the detour costs more than it saves.
Worked example with hypothetical figures
These numbers are illustrative only. They are not measured prices or a benchmark. Assume a nearby station at 1.50 per litre, a cheaper station at 1.45, a detour that adds 6 km in total, and a car that uses 8 litres per 100 km. The detour burns 0.48 litres (6 km × 8 ÷ 100), which costs about 0.70 at 1.45 per litre.
| Scenario | Gross saving (5 cents × litres bought) | Detour fuel cost | Net result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill 50 litres | 2.50 | 0.70 | +1.80 |
| Buy 10 litres | 0.50 | 0.70 | −0.20 |
The same detour pays off for a full tank and not for a top-up. Time, traffic and any stop you would not otherwise make are not in this sum, so add them before deciding.
Convenience checks
- Opening hours: confirm the station is open when you will stop. Fuel Finder data includes opening hours for UK forecourts.
- Route fit: a station on your way adds almost no distance; one that needs a turn across traffic adds time that the calculation does not capture.
- Amenities: check whether the facilities you need, such as a car wash or air line, are listed for the site. Fuel Finder data includes amenities for UK sites.
- Trip type: a detour is most justified on a long fill and least justified on a small top-up.
Troubleshooting when the app and the pump disagree
- The timestamp is older than you expected. Treat the price as unverified. Check the station’s posted price or pump before you detour.
- The price looks right but the grade is wrong. Reapply the grade filter and compare again. A low headline price for a lower grade is not a saving for your car.
- The station does not appear. In the UK, a station that has not joined Fuel Finder will not show in these services. Check the operator’s own site or another listed service.
- The pump price is higher than the app showed. Trust the pump. It is the price you will pay, and a higher figure means the listing was out of date.
What to recheck before relying on a service
Coverage, data feeds, app features and privacy settings all change, so the dates attached to each figure in this guide matter. Confirm the current provider list on the government pages linked above, and review each app’s own terms and location permissions before you rely on it.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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