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New regulations are now in place requiring fuel retailers in Victoria to start and complete onboarding to a new fuel finder feature ahead of sharing fuel price data for publishing on the Service Victoria app.
This will help Victorians make informed choices about where to refuel.
The new regulations have been made under the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012. They follow 6 months of public consultation with industry and the community.
New fuel finder feature
The regulations mandate that all Victorian fuel retailers must provide timely pricing data. The pricing data will be published on a new fuel finder feature on the Service Victoria app, which will go live later this year. Under the regulations, penalties apply for failing to update price changes.
The fuel finder feature will make it easy for Victorians to compare fuel prices at service stations across Victoria.
Next steps for fuel retailers
There are 3 steps fuel retailers must complete to start reporting their fuel prices.
Step 1: Set up your business profile by 26 August
Set up your business profile on the Service Victoria business hub.
The Director, Consumer Affairs Victoria has determined that fuel retailers must provide this information as part of the onboarding process by creating a business profile on the Service Victoria website.
Click on ‘Go to business profile’ to log in with your existing profile account or create a new one.
Please refer to the guidance material to complete your business profile setup and submit the fuel application.
We will process and validate what you’ve submitted. You can then move to step 2.
Step 2: Choose how to share your fuel price data
Once the account has been activated, choose either the API or web portal option for submitting fuel price data. Once you’ve successfully completed this step, please advise our production team via email: fuel.program@service.vic.gov.au
API users will have 15 days to complete testing and final implementation steps with the production team before starting to report fuel prices.
You can also submit your prices manually through the Service Victoria web portal.
Once your access is approved, you will be able to use the portal to submit your fuel prices. Web portal users are required to start reporting immediately.
Step 3: Reporting
You must now report your fuel prices each time they change. You must also report if you run out of fuel, as soon as practicable.
Your existing obligation to display fuel prices on price boards at your service stations also still applies. This has not changed.
Penalties apply for breaches of the reporting requirements.
If you have any difficulties with the above steps, our production team can support you. Contact the team via email: fuel.program@service.vic.gov.au or use the contact us form on the Service Victoria website.
Supporting information
Frequently asked questions
What are the obligations under the regulations?
Retailers must update their fuel prices as soon as practicable, but no more than 30 minutes after a change in price, so they can be published. This applies to every service station. Read the Regulations.
What happens if a fuel retailer doesn't update their prices when they change?
Failing to update your prices is a breach of the regulations. Consumer Affairs Victoria may take compliance action, including direct engagement, public warnings or enforcement action in more serious cases.
What is the penalty for not complying with the regulations?
The maximum penalty for breaching the regulations is 20 penalty units or $3,846.16 per breach.
How does compliance apply to businesses with multiple service stations?
All service stations must meet the price update requirements. Where prices are reported separately for individual sites, each site may be assessed independently for compliance.
What support is available to help retailers comply with fuel price reporting requirements
Retailers will be supported to meet their obligations, noting the focus is on building awareness and supporting compliance.
What happens if a store's technology fails and prices can't be reported?
Retailers will be supported to meet their obligations, noting the focus is on building awareness and supporting compliance. In this instance, retailers will be supported to activate their account through FAQs and webform.
What happens if a retailer makes a genuine mistake?
Consumer Affairs Victoria knows that most retailers want to do the right thing and support new price reporting for Victorians.
While we will be monitoring to ensure compliance and will take further action where we need to, our focus will be on ensuring, first and foremost, that accurate and timely reporting is happening.
Our regulatory approach and compliance policy sets out more information about how we undertake our regulatory and compliance functions.
How will smaller retailers be supported?
The Department of Government Services’ production team is providing technical support to all retailers and can help small retailers get started with their reporting obligations.
The intention is to ensure compliance requirements are clear and achievable for all businesses. Additionally, the regulations do not restrict third parties submitting pricing data on behalf of retailers – so smaller retailers can seek external support to meet reporting requirements.
Contact our production team via email: fuel.program@service.vic.gov.au or use the contact us form on the Service Victoria website.
Will the fuel data be publicly available as a data set?
Once the fuel feature becomes available to the public later this year, you’ll be able to review fuel prices via the app in real time. The Victorian daily fuel price dataset will be available to those who request it, 24 hours after prices are published on the app. Instructions for accessing the data will be provided once the app is launched.