Moolap Holds Victoria's Cheapest Diesel at 203 Cents While Shepparton Bendigo and Wodonga Cop Steep Overnight Jumps

Moolap Holds Victoria's Cheapest Diesel at 203 Cents While Shepparton Bendigo and Wodonga Cop Steep Overnight Jumps

Right, so I've been staring at the Victoria numbers this arvo and there's a proper split going on. The Geelong region suburb of Moolap is holding the cheapest diesel in the entire state at 203.9 cents a litre, while regional servos up north like Shepparton, Bendigo and Wodonga have copped some of the steepest overnight increases I've seen in weeks. Fair dinkum, the gap between best and worst pricing in Victoria right now is over 60 cents a litre, and that's the kind of difference that adds up to real money.

The Geelong Region Doing the Right Thing

Down the Geelong way, Moolap servos are showing diesel from 203.9 cents with the suburb average sitting at 239.3 cents across three stations. That cheapest figure is genuinely impressive when the state average is 260.8 cents. You're talking about a 56 cent difference per litre between the best Moolap pump and the Victoria average.

Drysdale just up the road is also worth a mention, with diesel sitting tight at 239.7 cents and almost no spread between stations. That tight pricing tells me the Drysdale operators are watching each other closely and competing properly. If you're heading anywhere near the Bellarine Peninsula this week, fill up at one of these spots and you'll cop it sweet.

Shepparton Getting Smashed Across the Board

Now for the bad news. Shepparton has copped it across multiple fuel types overnight, which is unusual. Diesel jumped 20.2 cents in 24 hours from 252.7 to 272.9 cents, and E10 climbed 13.5 cents to sit at 189.7 cents. That's a brutal one-two punch for tradies and ute drivers in the Goulburn Valley.

When a town gets hit on diesel and E10 simultaneously, it usually means the wholesale price has shifted regionally and the local servos are following the lead together. Worth keeping an eye on whether this holds or eases off by the weekend.

Regional Victoria Climbing While Melbourne Metro Drops

Here's the thing that really stands out. While regional Victoria is climbing, several Melbourne metro suburbs are heading the other way. Craigieburn diesel dropped 18 cents overnight from 269.1 to 251.1 cents, and Broadmeadows dropped 15.7 cents to land at 253 cents. That's a proper relief for northern suburbs drivers.

Meanwhile out in the regions, Bendigo jumped 16.9 cents on diesel to 268 cents, Moe climbed 16.6 cents to 265.8 cents, and Frankston added 14.8 cents to sit at 266.6 cents. Wodonga on the border copped a 14 cent jump to 275.4 cents, which is now well above the state average.

For the premium drivers, Benalla PULP95 jumped 21.3 cents to 222.2 cents and Traralgon added 14.7 cents on the same fuel. If you've got a fussy engine that needs the good stuff, you'd be mad not to time your fills carefully this week.

What This Means for Your Tank

Look, the difference between paying 203.9 cents in Moolap versus 272.9 cents up in Shepparton is 69 cents a litre. On a 65 litre fill, that's about $44.85 difference for the same tank of diesel. That's a decent counter meal, a couple of beers, or a tank of LPG for the BBQ depending on how you spend your weekends.

The practical move if you're driving long distances through Victoria right now is to plan your fills. If you're heading down the highway through Melbourne and out to Geelong, fill at Craigieburn or push through to Moolap. If you're heading north up to Wodonga, top up before you leave the city because the regional pricing is brutal at the moment.

Reckon this regional spike will ease off in a few days, but for right now the smart money is filling up wherever you spot diesel under 240 cents. Worth the detour if you're out that way anyway.

Look, end of the day, a bit of planning means more cash in your pocket for the important stuff. Can't argue with that.