Melbourne Outer Suburbs Cop Unleaded Increases Up to 19 Cents While Thomastown Drops
Right, so if you've filled up anywhere in Melbourne's outer suburbs this week, you've probably noticed the damage to your wallet. Unleaded prices across the western and southeastern fringes have jumped anywhere from 12 to nearly 20 cents a litre, and honestly, it's enough to make you rethink your route to work.
Here's the thing, right. Epping has copped the biggest hit of the lot, with unleaded jumping a whopping 19.5 cents to sit at 177.4 cents a litre. That's across 13 stations too, so it's not just one dodgy servo trying it on. The whole suburb has moved up together, which tells you the cycle is well and truly on the way up in that pocket of the north.
The Western Suburbs Are Feeling It Too
Over in Tarneit, unleaded has climbed 18.2 cents to 171.1 cents a litre. Seven stations all moving in the same direction. If you're commuting from Tarneit into the city, that's roughly an extra $10 on a full tank compared to last week. That's a couple of coffees or a decent lunch, just gone.
Deer Park isn't far behind either, with unleaded up 13.8 cents to 166.7 cents. Now, Deer Park has traditionally been one of the spots where you could find reasonable fuel in the western corridor, so seeing it push past 165 is a bit of a wake up call.
Down in the southeast, Langwarrin has seen unleaded jump 12.5 cents to 186.1 cents a litre. That's the highest of the lot in raw terms. Six stations, all above 180. If you're out that way, you'd want to be checking prices before you pull in because the difference between servos can still be meaningful.
But Here's Where It Gets Interesting
While all these outer suburbs are climbing, Thomastown has actually gone the other way. Unleaded there has dropped 11.5 cents to 156.4 cents across nine stations. Fair dinkum, that's nearly 30 cents cheaper than what they're paying in Langwarrin right now.
Now, Thomastown is one of those suburbs that tends to lead the cycle. When prices drop there first, it usually means the rest of the northern suburbs aren't far behind. Last week we saw Reservoir come down, and now Thomastown is following suit. Worth keeping an eye on whether Craigieburn and Preston start to follow in the next few days.
Speaking of Craigieburn, their E10 has gone up 9.8 cents to 158 cents. If you normally fill up with E10 to save a few bucks, Craigieburn is still under 160, which is reasonable. But it's trending up, so get in sooner rather than later.
What About Diesel?
For the tradies and SUV drivers out there, diesel across Victoria is sitting at an average of 181.3 cents, which is down slightly from yesterday. The real bargains are in the outer areas. Deer Park diesel is averaging 166.4 cents with the cheapest at 164.5. Epsom near Bendigo has one servo doing diesel at 161.1 cents, and Thomastown has diesel from 162.9 cents.
If you're willing to drive a bit, Moe in Gippsland has diesel from 158.5 cents, which is about 23 cents under the state average. Regional Victoria continues to deliver on diesel, which is a bit unusual since you'd normally expect metro to be cheaper.
The Big Picture
What we're seeing right now is classic fuel cycle behaviour in Melbourne. The outer western and southeastern suburbs are at the top of their cycle, while parts of the north like Thomastown and Reservoir have already started coming down. If history is anything to go by, those outer suburbs should start dropping within the next three to five days.
My tip? If you're in Tarneit, Epping, or Langwarrin and your tank isn't empty, hold off a few days if you can. If you absolutely need fuel now, it's worth the detour to Thomastown or the northern suburbs where prices have already corrected.
And if you're a diesel driver, get yourself out to the western suburbs or regional areas. The savings are genuine and consistent.
Look, end of the day, a bit of planning means more cash in your pocket for the important stuff. Can't argue with that.
